Fullerton Observer Local News January 2014
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COMMUNITY ullerton n bsCAeLENrDAvR Paege 12r-15 FFULLERTON’S INDEPENDENT NEWS • Est.1978 (priOnted on 20% recycled paper) • YEAR 36 #1 • JANUARY 2014 LITTLE BAKERS Oil Spill at Fullerton Creek INFRASTRUCTURE Above: Young students sing and dance to ARE THERE MORE IN OUR FUTURE? THE GOOD & BAD “Bake the Cake” during Authorities have been close-lipped ization Next Generation, acidizing uses the An overview of city infrastructure accom- a holiday dance recital about the causes of the recent oil spill into powerful solvent hydrofluoric acid (HF). plishments, deficits and longterm funding at the Plummer Auditorium. Fullerton Creek. There is also no informa- The substance is mixed with water and needs was presented by Public Works PHOTO PATTY SEGOVIA-KRAUSE tion available to the public about the vol- other chemicals and pressure-injected into Director Don Hoppe at the last council ume spilled and recovered, or test results wells. If used at too high a concentrate it meeting of the year. of the spill substances. can breach the steel walls of well casings The end of city Redevelopment Agencies The spill was called into the city early and enter the surrounding water table. HF which provided funding for many projects, a 7 . A Thursday morning, Jan. 2nd, by a citizen is on the Superfund list of Extremely 7 reduction in Gas Tax funds, and the effects of S D . 5 C I D 1 U who noticed oil flowing from the corner Hazardous Substances; rated by the US the recession have created significant funding A E . N P T D O of Bastanchury and State College into the Centers for Disease Control as one of the challenges, said Dir. Hoppe. Future funding O E R R N T G A O storm drain. most hazardous industrial chemicals in ideas include freeway billboards which could R T A S D I E T E The city fire department responded and use; and rated in the most dangerous cate- L N bring in $400,000 a year or more, a state S M R L A O P R found oil leaking into the street from an gory of hazardous materials by the T hike in the Vehicle License Fee, resolution of U P E S F P underground oil line coming from an National Fire Protection Association. former Redevelopment Agency properties, adjacent oil well. An undetermined UNANSWERED QUESTIONS INCLUDE: grants, and a 1/4 to 1/2 cent sales tax amount of oil had flowed through the 1) What was in the spill water? increase. Funding choices will be brought storm drain emptying into the unlined 2) How much of the substance was back to council at a future meeting. Fullerton Creek located in the greenbelt spilled and how much recovered? In 2005, the council approved a Sewer off State College Blvd. across from Yorba 3) Will escaped material cause problems Enterprise Fee to fund sewer operations and Linda Blvd. Fire Engine 5 personnel built if it reaches our aquifer from which repairs. At that time the city was at risk of a dike at the entry point to the storm we get 70% of our water? violating the new state waste discharge rule drain preventing further oil from entering that required local governments to reduce T 4) What caused the spill? the drain. Street Supervisor Daniel Diaz the number of sewer overflows by creating a N 5) How can we prevent such spills in E arrived to supervise the street clean-up. L the future? program for the regular maintenance and L D The city notified Breitburn, which repair of their sewer systems. The fee pro- A I 6) Is the spill related to the unexplained C S operates wells at that location, and they 2 E water leak at Mountain View Park vides revenues of about $6.5 million per year. S E 0 R I responded within ten minutes shutting off Since 2006, the fee has funded more than E 4 R T ongoing since May 2013? V 6 R the source. Breitburn called a clean-up $38.7 million in capital repairs. In 2004 - R T E 7) Do oil companies need permits to E 5 company to clean the creek. V before the fee went into effect, Fullerton S N 2 acidize wells in Fullerton? D B E Fish & Wildlife Spill Prevention over- 5 experienced 26 sewer overflows. In fiscal year A - 8) Should the creek be put off-limits to R O saw the operation. Patriot Environmental 4 2012-13, overflows dropped to two. O R walkers and warning signs erected? E 1 crews dressed in hazmat suits worked T 7 U H Continued on page 8 Continued on page 9 T around the clock from Jan. 2nd to Jan. C N 6th placing barriers and absorbent materi- I R al in the creek and sucking out fluid into O a tanker truck, using spotlights at night. Case Against Former Police Officers Charged in One nearby neighbor reported a tarry Death of Kelly Thomas Goes to Jury smell in the air. Five weeks of testimony and final argu- charged with excessive force in the death. Fish & Wildlife representative Anastasia ments in the trial of two former Fullerton Kelly Thomas, 37, an unarmed homeless Norris declared the clean-up finished on police officers Manuel Ramos (2nd degree mentally ill man died five days after being Monday around 3pm. She said some bar- murder and involuntary manslaughter), beaten by six Fullerton police officers at the riers, absorbents, and a monitoring device and Jay Cicinelli (involuntary manslaugh- transportation center in July 2011. The would remain in place to ensure that the ter and excessive force) ended Thurs., Jan. entire incident was caught on surveillance episode was over. 9th. The case then went to the jury which video. Thomas never regained conscious- 4 According to the South Coast Air began deliberations. Court was closed ness after the beating and was removed 3 8 Quality Control interactive map showing N 2 Friday. The jury reconvenes at 9am Mon., from life support when doctors determined R 9 1 O 5 E the wells operating in southern California, Jan. 13th. The jury must consider each of he was brain dead. Three of the officers A 0 T V 7 C Breitburn (an $1.8 billion oil recovery the 4 charges filed against each officer and have been charged by the OCDA. The R R X N E company) operates six wells near the cor- E agree unanimously on each one separately. remaining three were not charged because, O O L S B T ner where the spill started. The company If found guilty on all charges Ramos faces according to the DA, records show that R L B O E P is using the method of “acidizing” in all U 15 years to life in prison and Cicinelli faces though they assisted the first three in hold- L O L F the wells to bring up the last remaining 4 years. The trial of a third former officer ing Thomas down, they arrived at the scene U F oil. According to the non-partisan organ- Joseph Wolfe is coming up separately. He is too late to know what was going on. Page 2FULLERTON OBSERVER LOCAL NEWS JANUARY 2014 Downtown Fullerton Fullerton was the place to be Observer on New Years Eve. Lots of fun activities. The Fullerton Observer Community Newspaper, founded by Ralph and Natalie At Left: Kennedy and a group of friends in 1978, is staffed by local citizen volunteers who create, A young man publish, and distribute the paper throughout serves as our community. Magician’s This venture is a not-for-profit one with helper in one all ad and subscription revenues plowed back of many into maintaining and improving our inde- pendent, non-partisan, non-sectarian com- amazing munity newspaper. tricks. Our purpose is to inform Fullerton resi- dents about the institutions and other socie- tal forces which most impact their lives, so PHOTO that they may be empowered to participate in constructive ways to keep and make these JERE GREENE private and public entities serve all residents MORE NEW in lawful, open, just, and socially-responsible YEARS EVE ways. PHOTOS Through our extensive local calendar and ON PAGE 10 other coverage, we seek to promote a sense of community and an appreciation for the values of diversity with which our country is hension exam hasn’t been updated in over so uniquely blessed. Cypress College Administration twenty years and is given once a semester SUBMISSIONS: by the Cypress Reading Department. Submissions on any topic of interest are Cautions Observer and Students Students pay a $25 fee to take the exam. A sample of the “rigorous” Nelson- accepted from Fullerton residents and we try hard Cypress College President Robert Student Trustee regarding fewer Reading Denny Reading Test can be found to get it all in. Sorry we sometimes fail. Shorter Simpson has taken issue with concerns Proficiency options available for Cypress a t : h t t p : / / w w w . p r a c t i c e - pieces have a better chance. Send by email to and information shared by Cypress students compared to Fullerton students. tests.ca/exams/NDRT.html. [email protected] or by snail mail to: College students and faculty, three differ- “There are a variety of ways in which FULLERTON OBSERVER ent news sources, and the Cypress College students can demonstrate this require- •Another concern is the use of the pay- PO BOX 7051 FULLERTON, CA 92834-7051 Student Trustee, claiming that informa- ment, including a satisfactory score on the to-take Nelson-Denny Reading ____________________________ tion previously presented is “factually English placement test,” writes Simpson.