Welcome to our new website

NWLE — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:01:06 +0000

No Wetlands Landfill Expansion has moved into a new phase to protect our Marin/Sonoma wetlands.

We are in the process of transitioning our website to “Protect Our Wetlands”. www.protectourwetlands.org

On the Legal Front….

Marin Superior Court found in favor of NWLE in a suit in March, 2011. That ruling requires the Marin County Board of Supervisors to hear our appeal of the County’s approval of the Environmental Impact Report authorizing the landfill expansion. This is a major victory, mandating that our elected officials make the final decision on landfill expansion instead of County staff acting alone, and setting aside the EIR and the solid waste facility permit for the expansion. Marin County and Waste Management Inc., however, have appealed that decision to the California Court of Appeals. We continue to work with our terrific counsel on the briefs in the case and look forward to the appeal. View decision

“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:

No Wetlands Landfill Expansion’s legal fund at the Rose Foundation.

Please come back soon for important updates and information for hearings & trial dates.

Call to Action:

-Call your Supervisor to protest that the promised mitigations are not in the Redwood Landfill Solid Waste Permit and they must hear our planning commission appeal – it’s the law!.

Other Information

NWLE — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:47:32 +0000

Experts have documented that all landfills fail. The community is alarmed that Redwood is an unlined landfill sitting on a giant sponge that drains into the wetlands and the bay. Fifty years of unregulated hazardous waste including chemicals, mercury and other heavy metals, radioactive medical waste, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, and who knows what else are buried and leaching into the bay.

The underlying ancient sloughs are still not located or monitored. The levees are incomplete and are not high enough for the inevitable raising sea levels and larger more frequent storms predicted due to climate changes.

It’s not if but when an earthquake will cause significant damage at the dump and surrounding wetlands. Marin’s Planning Commission was so concerned that they will require the pumps to run for 100 years, long after Waste Management is gone.

We must have independent monitoring and water testing for the life of the dump—not for just 3 years as the county is requiring.

No Wetlands and 5 other groups appeal certification of the CEQA findings in the Environmental Impact review.

Appeal to the Marin County Board of Supervisors – view
Green Coalition’s comment letters - view
Final EIR Summary Analysis of Concerns – view

County Final Environmental Impact Report Amendment - view

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Contact your Supervisor

Contact your Supervisors with your thoughts on how the Supervisors can insert environmental and financial protections for the citizens of Marin —- Contact Link

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Presentation To Sustainable Fairfax & Sustainable San Rafael 4-17-08 view

Google Earth visualization of the landfill! view

Updated – White Paper -Waste Management Inc., A Trustworthy Partner for Marin? view

Updated: Comment letters to EIR view

Rising sea level, and the impact on the North Bay – view
New Earthquake prediction 99% of a greater than 6.7 in next 30 years – view
Wetlands in 1914 – USGS topo – view

Who pays for the cleanup after an earthquake, or failure, estimates of up to $1 Billion? Waste Management’s guaranty is approximately $15 million. Marin Tax Payers will be left to pay for the clean up.

We need to impress upon our policymakers that any expansion needs to consider Risk Management not Waste Management when it comes to our wetlands.

Video of discussion with Redwood Landfill held January 3, 2009 at the Democratic Central Committee of Marin (DCCM) view

For more information or contact