Feature Archives

Eureka, CA - A long-awaited hearing in the controversial Fraud lawsuit against Pacific Lumber (PL) was held in Eureka Wednesday morning in front of a new judge. Retired Lake County Judge Richard L. Freeborn, made his first public appearance in the case following the self-disqualification of Judge Christopher Wilson.

The “Demurrer” motion filed by PL was the second such attempt to have the historic case thrown out of court. PL’s first “Demurrer” was largely rejected by Judge Wilson in May 2004 following a politically turbulent nine-month delay. Read more

Public comments are needed on an extreme logging plan proposed by Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI). For two years, SPI has been pushing for a 540-acre logging plan that would clear-cut on steep slopes that “frequently exceed 100%,” according to a regional manager at the Department of Fish and Game. The plan, which is laid out over the Davis Creek and Bear River watersheds, proposes to cut 29 units to create a patch work of clear-cuts in old-growth forest that is home to threatened and endangered species, including Northern Spotted Owl, Golden Eagle, Mountain Beaver, Sonoma Tree Vole, Chinook and Coho salmon.
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East Bay Pesticide Alert is encouraging people to go to hearings on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2005 to tell the City of Oakland why it should not reintroduce herbicides for wildfire prevention. They are encouraging people to go to the City's meetings and present as many alternatives to the toxci plan as possible. At 12:30pm the Public Works Committee meets, and at 4pm the Public Safety Department will convene, both in Hearing Room 1 in Oakland's City Hall, at 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza. East Bay Pesticide Alert is also encouraging people to write "letters to the editor" and to also write to the city council to explain why herbicides should not be used in Oakland. Read more
Stop Toxic Trespass is asking for people to sign a " Do not reintroduce Pesticides in Oakland " Petition

On Wednesday, January 26th, there was a Town Hall meeting in Oakland to discuss the use of herbicides in wildfire prevention on city-owned property in the Oakland hills. East Bay Pesticide Alert and Stop Toxic Trespass were in attendance and demanded "non-toxic methods only" at the meeting, which was organized by the Wildlife Prevention Assessment District and Oakland Councilwoman Jean Quan. The district has been proposing selective use of the poisons to create fire-breaks in the same areas devastated by a 1991 firestorm. Many do not understand that pesticides can sicken, and even kill, people and animals. The herbicides in question are glyphosate (in formulations such as Round-up or Rodeo) and triclopyr (in formulations such as Garlon and Pathfinder). Both Glyphosate and Triclopyr (the active ingredient in Garlon 4) inhibit the work of mycorrhizal fungi, which help plants with nutrient uptake. Read more

Stop Toxic Trespass | East Bay Pesticide Alert | Oakland District 4 Councilmember Jean Quan | Diablo Fire Safe Council | Californians for Pesticide Reform | Pesticide Action Network North America

The Maxxam-controlled Pacific Lumber Company (PL) is threatening bankruptcy in an effort to pressure California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to allow logging in areas already chronically damaged by years of over cutting.   Following PL’s failure to turn over data in compliance with a regulation process, the State Water Board is withholding a series of Waste Discharge permits that would allow logging, though cutting on four Timber Harvest Plans (including one with ancient, irreplaceable redwoods) will go forward. The corporation claims they are running out of logs and must be allowed to cut in the chronically impaired Freshwater Creek and Elk River watersheds, where hundreds of residents are affected by increased flooding resulting from Maxxam/PL’s high intensity logging.  Freshwater and Elk River are listed as sediment impaired under the Clean Water Act. Read more

Children, Moms from Bayview Hunters Point and allies marched on MLK day to demand environmental justice."'We wanna be asthma free, shut down PG&E!' we chanted from 4th and Townsend to the Bill Graham civic auditorium. And not without a few photo ops with Gavin Newsom! Members from the Shut down PG&E contingent met up with Newsom to question his lipservice on the issue. Gavin assured us he was on our side of the issue, by stating that the PG&E Hunters Point Power Plant, the oldest and dirtiest plant would be shutdown in the next year."

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12/2/2004: On Thursday December 2nd, activists gathered near Union Square to protest the environment consequences of the mass mailing of Victoria's Secret catalogs. While claiming to be a good corporate citizen, the owner of the lingerie chain, Limited Brands, sends out over 395 million Victoria's Secret catalogs per year. Nearly all of the catalogs are produced with un-recycled paper, with some of the paper coming from endangered forests such as Canada's boreal forest.
According to Graphic Arts Products Tracking Research and Consulting (GAPTRAC), catalogs account for fifteen percent of U.S. printing demand by volume. ForestEthics and other environmental groups are turning their focus towards the catalog industry and demanding that it use more recycled content and stop buying paper from endangered forests. Lands' End/Sears, LL Bean, William-Sonoma/Pottery Barn, Limited/Victoria's Secret, J Crew, and JC Penney are the top targets of this phase of ForestEthics' campaign because they have some of the largest circulations in the industry, have links to endangered forests, and have refused to change their purchasing practices.

Pictures From The Demonstration | Event Announcment | Victoria's Dirty Secret | Use Of Prison Labor By Victoria's Secret

For more than sixty years, Bayview Hunters Point and Potrero Hill have suffered the ill effects of pollution from two of the oldest power plants in the state. Residents of Southeast San Francisco are hospitalized for asthma, cognitive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, and emphysema at three times the statewide average.

Gavin Newsom and Supervisor Sophie Maxwell announced on Nov 8th that a deal had allegedly been reached with the California “Independent System Operator” to close the PG&E Hunters Point power plant and Mirant’s Potrero plant. In fact, there is no such agreement, no date, no contract, nothing binding whatsoever. Neither PG&E nor Mirant have agreed to close their plants --Green Action learned that PG&E has already thrown a monkey wrench into the deal, stating that the Jefferson-Martin transmission line that the ISO wants completed before they will ok the shutdown of the Hunters Point plant will possibly be delayed beyond Spring of 2006. In other words, more delays, more broken promises, more asthma, more environmental racism…and potentially years more pollution from the PG&E power plant.

In response, residents and community groups are calling for the shutdown of the PG&E power plant in Bay View Hunters Point now. There will be a demonstration at the front gate of the PG&E plant on Wednesday December 8th, 2004 at 12 Noon.

Related: Flyer | Mom's Call to Action Against PG&E | PG&E Hunters Point Power Plant FACTS | A Toxic Inventory of Bayview Hunters Point (PDF)