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San Joaquin County DIRECTOR <br /> Donna Heran, REHS <br /> .� Environmental Health Department <br /> ASSISTANT DIRECTOR <br /> 2: � —! ? 600 East Main Street Laurie Cotulla,REHS <br /> (4: ? T :{ Stockton, California 95202-3029 PROGRAM COORDINATORS <br /> .. Mike Huggins,RENS, RDI <br /> J Margaret Lagorio,REHS <br /> Website: www.sjgov.org/ehd Robert McClellon,REHS <br /> F o R Phone: (209)468-3420 Jeff Carruesco, REHS,RDI <br /> Fax: (209) 464-0138 Kasey Foley, REHS <br /> 19 March 2009 <br /> Ronald M. Duff, P.E., Fund Manager <br /> Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund <br /> Division of Financial Assistance <br /> State Water Resources Control Board <br /> PO Box 944212 <br /> Subject: Russell Chapin Petition dated 17 February 2009 <br /> Margaret Lagorio and I have reviewed the copy of Mr. Chapin's petition dated <br /> 17 February 2009 and would like to respond as follows to several of his initial points: <br /> I am a California Professional Geologist and have been on staff with the San Joaquin <br /> County Environmental Health Department (EHD) since April 2002, providing technical <br /> oversight for Mr. Chapin's site and all the other sites in the LOP program. For full <br /> disclosure, please note that prior to coming on board with the EHD I provided the <br /> technical oversight for nearly all the UST-related projects handled by the Stockton office <br /> of Advanced GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (AGE), including Mr. Chapin's project. <br /> Mr. Chapin claims in his most recent petition that the EHD "lacks both the capability <br /> administratively and technical skill for our best interest" and "That the Environmental <br /> Health Dept. is more suited to handle matters of food and health concerns rather than <br /> the huge task confronting the tank owners." Both sentiments had also been expressed <br /> by his consultant, AGE, at the recent State Board meeting with the CIOMA group. All of <br /> our LOP staff members hold at least a Bachelor degree in a field of science, have <br /> passed the rigorous examination to become Registered Environmental Health <br /> Specialists (myself excluded on the REHS); six of our seven staff members have worked <br /> primarily on LOP sites for a minimum of seven years, our 'newbie' for about three years <br /> part time. All LOP staff receive annual LOP training, attend monthly staff meetings where <br /> technical issues related to LOP sites are commonly discussed, and all are the <br /> 'beneficiaries' of my technical insights when I review their sites. Any issues requiring <br /> geological interpretation are submitted to me for my review and comment. <br /> All of the EHD technical responses to Mr. Chapin's petitions and appeals since October <br /> 2004 have been prepared by me and all focus on the technical issues pertaining to his <br /> site, the various models, and on the interpretations and predictions presented by his <br /> consultants. I have attached copies of several of my technical reviews for your <br /> reference. I do not believe a lack of technical competency to address Mr. Chapin's site's <br /> issues resides with the EHD. <br /> The meeting on 15 October 2003 referred to by Mr. Chapin was not a planned meeting, <br /> there was no intent to exclude Mr. Chapin, in fact the EHD was under the impression <br /> Ron Duff Letter 0309 <br />