SEMPRA/SDG&E LOBBYIST NOMINATED BY OBAMA AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INTERIOR: VOTE SLATED THURSDAY, MARCH 12
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery March 12, 2009 (San Diego’s East County) — East County residents opposed to Sempra Energy’s Sunrise Powerlink project are mobilizing opposition to President Barack Obama’s nomination of David Hayes as deputy director of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Hayes served as Deputy Director of the department during the Clinton Administration, but later went to work for the lobbying firm Latham & Watkins representing Sempra Energy and SDG&E. The Interior Department oversees Bureau of Land Management properties that Powerlink is slated to cross in Lakeside’s El Monte Valley and other areas of San Diego’s East County. A vote is expected Thursday in the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. (See http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=About.Members for a list of committee members and their contacts.) The high-voltage power line project has generated massive opposition here in a region that has suffered the worst wildfires in California history. An environmental impact report found Powerlink will pose a serious fire risk and that the fire danger cannot be mitigated. Last week, Lakeside’s fire chief testified that firefighting planes could be unable to scoop water from the El Capitan Reservoir if Powerlink is built. Four California Public Utilities Commissioners appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved the project at the Governor’s urging, even though two administrative law judges found the project unnecessary to meet our region’s energy needs. In a letter to President Obama dated March 10th, Ramona resident Diane Conklin wrote, “Mr. Hayes lobbied for Sempra Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric Company on transmission issues. SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink transmission project was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission last December despite the company’s refusal to dedicate any portion of the line for renewable energy. SDG&E threatened not to build the line rather than accept an alternate decision to condition a portion of the line for renewables. ..Now the line is not guaranteed to carry renewable energy and, in fact, may carry LNG-generated electricity from a Sempra Mexican generation plant, across the border from San Diego County and fueled by the newly built LNG facility in Baja, Mexico, just north of Ensenada.” Conklin, who heads the Mussey Grade Road Alliance, added, “As a citizen intervenor, I faced Latham & Watkins during the proceeding and know that they are not concerned with our concerns on the ground. Our issue is wild land fires ignited by power lines. SDG&E’s power lines ignited three such fires in the 2007 Firestorm. We brought the issue to the Commission months before that event and our intervention resulted in the Commission looking at power line fires for the first time in its history and dedicating some 300 pages of the EIR to the subject. Nevertheless the approval of this $2 billion transmission line, instead of the use of safer rooftop photo voltaic energy combined with some conventional generation, if necessary (the top two alternatives in the EIR), means that we in sunny San Diego County may never see renewable energy in the foreseeable future.” Conklin urged Obama to reconsider the appointment, adding, “It is hard for me, a supporter of yours whose Obama bumper sticker is one of only three I have seen in my rural town of some 35,000 in the center of San Diego County, to understand how this is change. This appointment will mean that big energy business will operate as business as usual, but under the unearned umbrella of renewable energy." Michael Pinto, founder and chairman of the Laguna Canyon Foundation, had this to say about Hayes in a letter he wrote to Obama. “Mr. Hayes has been on the wrong side of history as a lobbyist for Sempra Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric Company on transmission issues. The lobbying and public relations in support of the Powerlink has been a fabric of lies, so much so that the presiding administrative law judge recommended denial of their application, saying the line was not needed and that there were many better alternatives to meeting the energy needs of San Diego. During the CPUC hearings, SDG&E claimed their proposed Surnrise Powerlink was to carry renewable energy, but when they were asked to guarantee that renewable energy was to be carried on the line, they said if that were a requirement for approval, they would not build the Powerlink. Mr. Hayes’ activities on behalf of SDG&E/Sempra was at the heart of this and his confirmation to deputy secretary of the Interior department would send a very bad message to those of us that have worked so hard for the vision of a sustainable energy future for our country." According to a March 10 article at Politico.com, Hayes has not personally lobbied the Department of the Interior in over two years. But filings released Monday reveal he continued representing companies with business before the Department. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18128.html. Hayes, a lawyer, represented a wide array of energy concerns, manufacturing firms and advocacy groups with vested interests in the work of the Interior Department. Politico’s research reveals that Hayes was paid more than $2 million last year for his legal work at the lobbying law firm Latham & Watkins, where he was the partner in charge of its Environment, Land and Resources Department. Over the next 10 years, Hayes will receive fixed payments from his retirement account with the firm, according to the filing. Hayes joined the firm in 2001 and resigned from the job at the end of last year. If confirmed for a second stint as Deputy Director of Interor, he’ll have to tread carefully to avoid running afoul of Obama’s strict revolving door prohibitions , which bar executive branch officials from working on issues “directly and substantially related” to their former clients or employers for two years. The restrictions are even tougher for former lobbyists, who are barred from working on any issue “or for any department “ they lobbied for two years after they last lobbied. Hayes’ nomination doesn’t run afoul of the lobbying restrictions, since he
EDITOR’S BLOG: FROM MUCKRAKING TO GROUNDBREAKING: FIRE STATIONS FOR EAST COUNTY–BUT STILL NONE FOR SAN DIEGO
Printer-friendly versionMarch 11, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)–The term "muckraker" has often been applied derisively toward media that dredges up evidence of official misconduct or neglect. But sometimes, muckraking–and a bit of public shaming–produces reforms by alerting the public and elected officials of a need to be filled. East County Magazine played a vital watchdog role this week in drawing attention to the fact that neither the County nor the City of San Diego had asked local fire chiefs for suggestions on "shovel-ready" projects–and that no fire stations were listed among projects proposed by the City or County for federal stimulus funds. After we published our story titled "Where’s the Pork?" (http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/?q=node/707) , a TV reporter interviewed me and contacted public officials. The result? The County stepped up to the plate, proposing that stimulus funds be used to build or repair fire stations in rural areas, including Boulevard and Ramona. Because projects must break ground within 120 days of federal funding approval, the County has teamed up with rural planning groups to waive normal rules and fast-track permitting for the fire stations. While this may raise questions about the scope of environmental review, it will clearly improve our region’s fire safety. http://www.10news.com/video/18876277/index.html. The City of San Diego, however, has taken no such actions. After the 2007 fires, the City’s own Fire Chief testified before a Congressional panel that the City of San Diego is 22 fire stations short of meeting federal minimum standards. Had those standards been met, Rancho Bernardo may never have burned. Senator Diane Feinstein, who chaired the investigation, warned San Diego officials that she foresaw "loss of life on a massive scale if nothing is done." Yet still, the City has failed to come up with a plan for more fire stations. A fellow reporter confided that one official excused this lapse by noting that the city lacks for more firefighters and fire trucks, therefore he saw no need to build more fire stations–even if federal funds are available. Wouldn’t it make more sense to build stations while funds are available for infrastructure projects, then come up with a way to fund manpower and equipment? Perhaps insurance companies might agree to pony up some money, as two insurers just did to help fund training for firefighters in El Cajon http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/?q=node/725 . Or Native American tribes might come to the rescue, as they have in the past with donations to buy fire trucks for our region. Bringing home the bacon used to be a point of honor among elected officials. While the privilege can be abused, "pork" in the form of funds to build fire stations is a worthwhile means of protecting the public from harm, in my view. So I’ll ask City leaders again: "Where’s the pork?" Printer-friendly version
POWERLINK MEETING DRAWS PROTESTS IN ALPINE; PARENTS OPPOSE HIGH-VOLTAGE LINES NEAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Megan Werland, right, worries about health effects of Powerlink on children including her 5-month old daughter, Eleanor March 10, 2009 (Alpine) — Children and parents staged a protest rally outside the Alpine Community Center, where SDG&E held a public meeting on Sunrise Powerlink. Holding signs that read "Class 1 Fire Risk" and "Save the Cleveland National Forest", dozens of residents voiced opposition to 230-kv lines slated to run through the heart of this community. Approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in December, Powerlink is slated to include a $92 million section of undergrounded lines along a two-mile stretch of Alpine Boulevard, where Alpine Elementary School is located. "It’s terrible. Is it deep enough?" asked Megan Werland, mother of a five-month-old daughter, voicing concerns about possible health risks from electromagnetic radiation emitted by high-voltage lines. George Barnett, a retired engineer, shares that concern. "To my knowledge, no real studies have been done on undergrounded lines," he said, adding that he once helped build overhead high-voltage lines in Indonesia."Villages under the lines had enough power to get flickering fluorescent lights, just from inducted power." Recalling disruption to local business from undergrounding fiberoptic cables, which are far smaller than power lines, he fears underground high-voltage lines will also disrupt traffic and hurt business for local merchants. Mona Peterson owns a vineyard, winery and horses in Alpine. "Our wine just got put on shelves in Albertson’s. Now they want to put a tower 150 feet from our house. What’s awful is that these lines cause cancer." She also voiced concern that the power lines could cause a fire–or prevent firefighters from fighting a fire beneath the lines. Gary Bradbury lives on Gaskill Peak, within 500 feet of the planned Powerlink towers. He fears it will be impossible or prohibitively costly to get fire insurance for residents living near the lines. "It’s already difficult to get insurance in a fire area," he said. "Last year, wildfire nearly encroached in that canyon where they want to put poles." But for parents, the greatest concern focused on the proximity of Powerlink to Alpine Elementary School, where young children spend five days a week throughout the school year. The California Education Code ruled in 2006 that new schools be built at least 150 feet from a high voltage line’s edge of right-of-way for overhead lines and 37.5 feet for underground lines, according to James Turman, project manager. Previously, a 300 foot distance from overhead lines was required and no standards were in place for underground lines. But according to SDG&E representatives, there is no requirement for power lines installed after a school is built to be placed even 37.5 feet away. Turman was unaware of how close the elementary school in Alpine is to the proposed Powerlink lines. Asked if he is aware of any studies have been done on the effects of underground lines on human health, Turman replied, "No." He cited a World Health Organization study which reviewed existing research on powerlines. Published in 2005, the WHO monograph found "evidence is not conclusive that there is a risk from electromagnetic radiation, whether to kids or adults," Turman noted. SDG&E representatives Jonathan Woldermariam and James Turman A 2004 Oxford study of 33,000 children over 35 years, however, found that the leukemia rates nearly doubled among children living within 100 meters of high-voltage lines. Asked whether children playing, walking to school or waiting for school busses outside the Alpine elementary school might be exposed to high voltage closer than 37.5 feet, Turman was unable to provide an answer. Asked whether SDG&E would make sure to locate its line at least 37.5 away from the elementary school here, Turman replied, "We’re not required by state law to do so, though we do want to be good neighbors. How close it would be would be based on final engineering design. We don’t have an answer." The utility could utilize reverse phase engineering to change direction of some fields in an effort to reduce EMF emissions by up to 70% in some places, he added. SDG&E spokesman Jonathan Worldermariam clarified that lines through Alpine will be 230 kv, not 500 kv as some residents believed. The lines will step down from 500 to 230 kv at the Japatul substation. He also displayed a chart indicating that typical electromagnetic frequenty (EMF) values from 230 kv lines range from 19.5 milligauss (mG) at 50 feet to 7.1 mG at 100 feet, dropping to just 1.1 mG at 300 feet. By comparison, magnetic fields in a home may be higher, according to a chart provided by SDG&E. A microwave oven can produce 3 to 8 mG at 39 inches, or as much as 2,000 mG at 1.2 inches. A TV can expose viewers to 0.1 to 2 mG at a typical viewing distance of 39 inches, and up to 20 mG at 12 inches, for example. Those exposures are intermittent, however, unlike power lines placed near homes, businesses and schools. Another potential concern is that the cumulative impact of EMF exposure from multiple sources. What does SDG&E have to say about residents’ concerns over fire danger? Asked about fire concerns, SDG&E public relations spokesperson Jennifer Briscoe stated, "The vast majority of fires in California are human caused." True, however, Cal-Fire has determined that several of the most destructive wildfires in San Diego County were caused by power lines owned by SDG&E or its parent company, Sempra Energy. Lawsuits have been filed against the utility by state and local governments, homeowners and insurance companies. An environmental impact report prepared by the state concluded that Powerlink would severely increase the risk of fire and that fire risks cannot be mitigated. Firefighters cannot fight fires beneath the lines and aircraft cannot drop water onto the lines unless power is first shut off by the utility company. SDG&E says it is working on fire coordination plans. Asked if it would consider undergrounding lines in high fire-danger areas, Woldermariam noted, "Environmental impacts
OLAF WIEGHORST HISTORICAL HOME TO OPEN MARCH 19
Printer-friendly versionStory and photos by Miriam Raftery Olaf Wieghorst historic home March 11, 2009 (El Cajon) — Recently designated a historic site by the City of El Cajon, the long-time home of famed western artist Olaf Wieghorst will open to the public on Thursday, March 19th at 4 p.m. In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine, the artist’s son, Roy Wieghorst, shares his memories of his famous father and his boyhood home. Navajo Madonna "We came out here in 1944," Roy Wieghorst recalled, stepping inside the modest wooden house with warm knotty pine interiors, simple furnishings and a replica of the easel where his father painted many of his most well-known works. "My father used to wipe his brushes on the wall," Wieghorst recalled, pointing out splotches of paint still visible today. "The place seemed a lot bigger back then. This is the house that my family and I lived in when I was a teenager." Originally located a the intersection of Sunshine and Renette, the house was recently moved to a lot adjacent to the Olaf Wieghorst Museum and Western Heritage Center at 131 Rea Street in El Cajon. Now located next to the Olaf Wieghorst Museum and Western Heritage Center at 131 Rea Street in El Cajon, the home has been moved from its original location at the intersection of Sunshine and Renette Street. In 1956, the City of El Cajon annexed the original home site. Since horses were prohibited within City limits, the Wieghorst family moved to a more rural area in the outskirts. Roy Wieghorst and his famous father’s trick saddle "My father continue to paint for his entire life. He loved painting–and he loved horses," Wieghorst’s son recalled. "He was in two movies with John Wayne, who was a good friend." The artist even had a bit part as a gunsmith in the movie El Dorado, starring John Wayne, and appeared in the film McLintock as well. The opening credits of El Dorado are shown over a background of Wieghorst’s paintings. Replica easel and original paint brush strokes on wall inside Wieghorst historic home "Four presidents bought his paintings," Roy Wieghorst said. "Eisenhower had one over his desk in the oval office." Born in Denmark in 1899, Olaf Wieghorst sailed to America as a cabin boy aboard a steamer to pursue his dream of seeing the rugged country he knew only from books and museums. He served in the U.S. Cavalry and later, in the mounted division of the New York Police Department. But his interludes as a wrangler on Western ranches provided inspiration for the images of majestic landscapes and legendary individuals who lived and worked on the land that he later immortalized in his art. After retiring from the NYPD, he moved west with his wife, Mae, and their son, Roy. In 1951, he hung his first "Adobe Wall Art Exhibit" on the patio in front of his home. After running an ad in the newspaper and inviting friends, he spread blankets over hay bales for seating, hired guitarists and a trick roper to entertain. Paintings were hung on the interior of an adobe-walled courtyard. Wieghorst received praise from critics and soon gained esteem as one of the finest western artists in America. Living room/studio in Wieghorst home If you visit the historic home, be sure to stop in the Olaf Wieghorst Museum Foundation next door, where you can view original Wieghorst paintings and memorabilia. You can also purchase artworks in the museum gift store, such as prints of Wieghorst’s famed Navajo Madonna painting (photo, right) as well as statues and paintings by contemporary western artists. "This was my Dad’s trick riding saddle," Roy Wieghorst noted, running his hands across the well-worn leather inside the museum. (photo) Pointing to a painting of a boy on horseback, he added, "This was a picture of me. I used to trick rope a lot." Olaf Wieghorst died in 1988. Since then, some of his works have sold for over $1 million. Today, his works hang in numerous museums as well as private collections owned by Hollywood celebrities, arts patrons, industrialists, investors, presidents, and local residents. The Olaf Wieghorst Foundation hopes to acquire additional properties to hosue the Western Heritage Center research library and collections. In addition, the Foundation aims to recreate an adobe stable and cantina that were integral to the original home site, ultimately making the facility available for art shows, exhibits, receptions, and community events. For more information, visit www.wieghorstmuseum.org and www.olafwieghorst.com. Printer-friendly version