California Energy Commission and the 3 Combustion Turbines at Pier 80

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has been holding a number of Evidentiary Hearings in Sacramento and one will be held at the California Public Utilities Building in San Francisco on May 22, 2006 at 9 am in San Francisco on Van Ness Street very near City Hall.

These hearings are held in connection with our Transmission Lines and to figure out how best to address electricity consumption especially during Peak Hours. CES is getting ready to give permission to place 3 Combustion Turbinses spewing very dangerous particulates and adversely affectiong thousands of innocent constituents of San Francisco.

San Francisco continues to have Black Outs not as many as we had in the year 2000. But then again when that happened in the year 2000 many fake things were happening.

As often happens when it comes to these so called experts that know what is happening - the rate payer foots the bill and the California Independent Systems Operator ( a non-profit body), the CEC, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) all proclaim that they know a lot - but as we all found out in the year 2000 the fools were taken for a ride by ENRON and host of other Electricity Brokers for billions of dollars.

IN THE END THE RATE PAYER FOOTS THE BILL.

It is the same game now - very complicated language full of diatribe and the so called stupid experts make it all the more convuluded when talking about any project linked to electricity.

An expert will state that he or she knows exactly what is happening in the project area. When asked how many projects are going to be executed within the Pier 80 area - one stated four projects. In reality it was more then 40 but there is no one to refute and shed light.

In reality it is more then 40 but there is no one to state the obvious because the project and in this case the 3 Combustion Turbines will be placed at Pier 80 that is San Francisco Port Authority (SFPA) jurisdiction in San Francisco. The SFPA is an entity to itself and generates its own money.
It takes no money from the General Fund of the City and County of San Francisco.

Within the SFRA jurisdiction all projects should be linked to Maritime Uses. This is mandated by the Public Trust Act and the Burton Act. Now within Pier 80 over 6 major project are planned but the so called expert failed to mention this at the May 1, 2006 hearing.

Now if 6 major projects are planned within the SFPA jurisdiction you can imagine how many more are planned outside the area which is the last frontier. All the industrial facilities and new housing is planned within 3 miles of this area by Pier 80.

Over 25,000 homes are going to be built within this area. The San Francisco Planning Department has all the plans. Over 35,000 homes all over San Francisco and still within 4 miles of Pier 80. The so called expert keeps talking about old mudane project but fails to focus on human beings that are really affected by PARTICULATES and PATHOGENS.

Fails to address Quality of Life issues. Fails to address Health and Safety even though it comes under the purview of Engineering Issues.

San Francisco brags that it has the Precautionary Principle that should protect all living beings.
YES IN SAN FRANCISCO THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE IS LAW.

The Precautionary Principle states very simplY that if any project adversely impacts any living being - measure should be taken to avoid such projectS and mitigation and abatement models should be put in place to safe guard all living beings.

The area where the 3 Combustion Tubines are going to be placed is very toxic land. More over it is prone to liquefaction. This was stated on more then one occasion by more then one California Energy Commissioner. I have stated this fact and many meetings and no one wants to listen.

Next to the proposed site where the 3 Combustion Turbines will be placed the MUNI Metroeast Facility will be built. 50 feet away from the 3 Combustion Turbines. Now why would any one want to put at risk our City Employees. This is clearly against the Precautionary Principle.

Thousands of workers and others living in the Work Live Units around Pier 80 have no clue that once the 3 Combustion Turbines (CTs) are in place - these CTs when they are fired - the constituents will be exposed to particulates and very dangerous pathogens.

More over millions of vehicles that will now ply on the Illinois Street once the Illinois Bridge is built will impact the human beings and other living beings that are found in the area.

That includes the fish and other living beings in the Bay. It is against the Precautionary Principle to knowingly adversely impact any living being. To adversely impact human beings more.

The Precautionary Principle is law is it not just a Resolution that you can read and put aside.

It is time to take CEC, CPUC, SF Public Utilities Commssion (SFPUC), the SF City Attorney, the Mayor of San Francisco, Susan Leal the Manager of SFPUC to court and settle this matter once and for all.

I keep listening to these so called stupid experts that testify on behalf of projects and have no clue about Cumulative Pollution.

Have no clue about CEQUA and have no clue about conducting good bussiness by providing sound Environmental Impact Reports or Studies.

The ares have Cultural Resources. Long before some Whites came to California the Muwekma Ohlone were here. The land was stolen and abused and continues to be abused.

The Ohlone have Sacred Burial Grounds called Shellmounds. No consideration what so ever is being even to these facts.

There were over 450 Shellmounds surrounding the Bay and the so called experts have failed to take this into account.

Again and again we have to stop projecting false data without understand the practical facts.

I participated in the Stakeholders' Meeting held at 77 Beale and sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric.

I participated in the dialogue that brought about the Flow Chart and future projections and we stated clearly the need for over 100 MegaWatts of Electricity to deal with Peak Hours and other Emergencies.

We thought the 3 Transmission Lines would take care of that and more - the Jefferson-Martin Transmission Line already in place, the Potrero-Hunters Point Transmission Line already in place, and the proposed Pittsburg-Potrero that can be completed by 2009.

Besides there is room for Clean Energy - Wind, Solar, and a host of other brand new Clean Energy Technology that can and should generate Electricity.

Again and again crooks are paid huge sums of money - they call themselves experts to permit projects that defy Quality of Life issues. CEC, FERC, CPUC, SFPUC and the other regulatory agencies like the Bay Air Quality Management should be ashamed of themselves. These agencies have NO standards and defy logic.

Again and again the Bayview Hunters Point is being used to dump the worst polluting industries.

We already have the Sewage Treatment Plant, the millions of vehicles that spew particualtes, the polluting industries, the Sand, Aggregate, and Concrete companis, and it goes on and on.

Now in the year 2006 SFPUC and Susan Leal wants to place 3 Combustion Turbines on a toxic site prone to liquefaction.

The Mayor of San Francisco Gavin Newsom should be ashamed of himself. So should the City Attorney and Sophie Maxwell who is on the take and has no clue about Quality of Life issues.

Again these so called experts that know little and are mostly White - that do not live in the Community have NO right to speak with fork tongues and adversely impact thousands of innocent folks.


Francisco Da Costa
Director
Environmental Justice Advocacy