Welcome to our new website December 21
We are in the process of transitioning our website to “Protect Our Wetlands”. www.protectourwetlands.org
About Us:
No Wetlands Landfill Expansion (“NWLE”) is a grassroots environmental education and advocacy organization, and recipient of a Northern California Environmental Grassroots Fund grants from the Rose Foundation.
NWLE opposes the expansion of the Redwood Landfill (the “dump”) located at the edge of the Petaluma River Estuary and Marsh on the Marin and Sonoma County border, and seeks to assure the enforcement of appropriate oversight of the landfill’s current operations.
NWLE seeks to assure the protection of citizens, wildlife, and the river estuary from the negative health and environmental effects from air, water, odor, and noise pollution arising from operation of the dump.
NWLE seeks to redirect local government’s approach to the landfill to consider it a local resource to conserve to benefit local residents instead of permitting the landfill to become a regional dump.
NWLE petitions our local government agencies to include solid waste management as a fundamental element of county and local planning, including contingency planning, closure and abatement planning, and studying and considering alternative technologies and site locations.
NWLE seeks to preserve and protect the Petaluma River Estuary and Marsh as a public educational and environmental resource for residents to appreciate its natural beauty and critical role in our local and Bay ecosystems.
On the Legal Front….
December 13, 2012 “Marin Superior Court Judge Marin Superior Court Judge Lynn Duryee has finalized a ruling which invalidates the environmental impact report that paved the way for a major expansion of Redwood Landfill in Novato”. Marin IJ Article
Judge Duryee’s NWLE Ruling Dec-’12
Will landfill expansion be scrapped? Pacific Sun view
Comments:
Christopher Gilkerson, longstanding member of NWLE:
“We are pleased that, after many years of urging the County and the Landfill to more carefully consider and address the substantial negative environmental impacts of expanding the dump located on a marsh, the Court agreed with us that they need to do more to protect residents, the wetlands, and the environment. Counties like Marin can no longer allow the waste business to conduct business as usual given the additional risks presented by Global Warming.”
Bruce Baum, NWLE Chair :
“The landfill is sitting in California’s largest tidal wetlands, unlined, in a flood zone, below sea level, and between two earth quake faults. Our concerns continue around the lack of a liner and inadequate levees. We hope that Marin county steps up to get the financial assurances necessary for the residents and the environment because all landfalls fail.”
“Marin group files lawsuit over Redwood Landfill decision, saying site is vulnerable to rising sea level, earthquakes” View IJ story June 25, 2011
“The Regional Water Board committed a clear legal error in declining to consider evidence plainly establishing that the Redwood Landfill is unlikely to remain intact over the decades. Indeed, the Landfill is instead likely to fail in a manner that will release significant contaminated groundwater and other waste materials into San Francisco Bay” said Christopher Sproul, of Environmental Advocates, NWLE’s counsel.
Loss against the Water Board’s Approval
We challenged the July 2009 approval by the Bay Area Regional Water Quality Water Board (RWQCB) of the Water Discharge Requirements (WDR) submitted in conjunction with Redwood Landfill’s plans to dramatically expand it’s 1950s-era dump. NWLE’s suit was overthrown on an obscure law that only allows lawsuits within 270 days after a ruling. While we waited one and a half years for the State Water Board’s refusal to hear an appeal of the WDR approval! After 21 months the State Water Board summarily refused to hear our appeal
View the Green Coalition for Responsible Waste/Resource Management’s site & principles
Thank you to the dozens of organizations and hundreds of individuals whose loyalty and support are helping us “turn the tide” against vested interest and lax denial. We continue to hold the line, please consider a tax-deductible contribution to: