History

A Brief History of the Latest Desalination Effort in Cambria

January 2010:  The Cambria Community Services District calls a short-notice meeting to announce that Geotechnical drilling will take place on in front of Shamel County Park and on Santa Rosa Creek Beach in Cambria. The public was not made aware of the process by which this site was chosen. 

February, 2010: Due to citizen protests and public testimony against drilling in front of Santa Rosa Creek with no environmental review the CCSD admirably began a CEQA process in February of 2010.

March, 2010: Hundreds of pages of agency and citizens comments were received in opposition to the drilling plan.   Concerns included public safety, endangered species, mercury hazards, loss of public access, loss of access to children’s playground, construction on the beach, vehicles on the beach, and piecemealing environmental review by separating the drilling plan from the actual desalination project. A Public hearing was scheduled for March and FIRMA was paid  $15,000 to answer the comments. The Public hearing was cancelled.

April 22, 2010: 

Rather than answer the agency letters, the CCSD voted to turn the project over to the Army Corps of Engineers and stopped the CEQA review.  As the "sole responsibility" of the Corps, the project was no longer subject to the state level CEQA. Resolution 18-2010 read:  BE IT RESOLVED “The CCSD shall immediately cease its environmental review related to the geotechnical study." 400 Cambria citizens signed petition in opposition to drilling without a full environmental review under CEQA.

 

May, 2010: The Coastal Commission Federal Consistency hearing was held.  Commissioners themselves never received the hundreds of pages of comments from agencies and citizens in opposition to the drilling.  California Coastal Commission approved 8-1 the drilling of test wells into the Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve and State Marine Conservation Area in front of Shamel County Park for a proposed desalination plant in Cambria.

August, 2010:  Despite pleas from citizens for local advisory committee to step in,  SLO County issued a right of entry permit for construction equipment to travel thru Shamel Park and access the county beach.  Public testimony was given in opposition to the project at a State Parks Commission meeting in Cambria.  The Army Corps was denied right of entry into State Parks lands due to restrictions to vehicle access on the Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve.  

September through October, 2010:  The Coastal Commission established these two months as a "window" for the drilling to take place. The County issued a right of entry permit for the county beach, but State Parks refused.  Drilling took place on county lands only, and, though no official report can currently be accessed, a local environmental advocate learned from Army Corps/Coastal Commission communications that the drill hit bedrock at only 24 feet, causing workers to pack up and leave a day early.  They never gained access to the State Parks beach, which was revealed to be a natural preserve.  In fact, it was determined that a new Coastal Commission consistency determination would be required if they intend to try again. Now the window looms again for...

September through October, 2011:  The drilling window opened again. And then closed.  What were the CCSD and the ACE planning? We had no idea. It was taxpayer money, and public agencies, but all CCSD committees have been made "ad hoc," and none of this was taking place in public view. We could only wait. Then we heard that a new "Geotech #2" project would be heard by the Coastal Commission on December 9, 2011. The Army Corps was attempting to gain access to drill in protected areas including Hearst San Simeon State Park, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Cambria State Marine Park, and the CA Sea Otter Refuge. But...in order to avoid the Santa Rosa Creek Natural Preserve, the Army Corps was now attempting to drill and drive BELOW THE MEAN HIGH TIDE LINE!  Because the Cambria Community Services District handed the project over to the Army Corps, the project would require a ‘Federal Consistency Determination’ under Chapter Three of the CA Coastal Act rather than a more rigorous  California Coastal Development Permit.

Click here for letters of opposition to this project: Greenspace, Ann Winburn, Toby Crocket, Jim Webb, Mary Webb, Catherine Hyde, Elizabeth Bettenhausen, Ocean Conservancy/Natural Resources Defense Counsel

December 9, 2011 – California Coastal Commission votes UNANIMOUSLY TO DENY the Federal Consistency Determination.

                                                      Looking South from the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk

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