COMPLIANCE INFO_1974-1992 - Laserfiche WebLink

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h � u m PCrooks, the regional board's execu- k" (�' tive officer, chided Marenco and the continued from page 1) Farm Bureau.. "Many things in the newspaper and Board members conceded it is that you have said here are just not unusual to issue such an order when true,"he told Marenco. there has been no demonstration of `This is a non-problem. The Farm: harm from the operation. Bureau is responsible for blowing t They indicated, though, something thing out of proportion,"Crooks said. more than just a timetable is needed to "I'm confident the Forward gr show they take the matter seriously. will comply with the time schedu Richard Konig, the lawyer represent- Crooks said, adding that he would not „ lFonig g the San Joaquin Farm Bureau be concerned if there are slight delays in meeting some of the requirements. " ederation, major opponent of the ump operation,did not think the board The order adopted by the regional "A year ago I would have been satis- ent far enough. board calls basically for completion of ed with this ... but it is a first step," August. corrective measures by the end of said after the hearing. During the testimony, Konig, Farm Bureau President Mike Gikas and others argued the board staff and other public officials- have been lax in ealing with the Forward Inc.dump. Repeated complaints about the ,,dumping of hazardous wastes at the site "fell on deaf ears,"Gikas said. John Stovall, the lawyer representing Forward, said the permit violations are largely technical. "This whole matter is an attack on the Austin Road site and its operators by the Farm Bureau and its supporters "There has been a series of non-nego- tiable demands (for changes in the dump operation),"Stovall said. He said Forward has spent some $200,000 in dealing with its hazardous waste disposal program. "The business has, in essence, been destroyed,"Stovall said. Dwight C. Baier, an engineering con- sultant for the Farm Bureau, said caus- tic materials in some wastes dumped at the site could render the clay liners in disposal areas ineffective in preventing seepage of dangerous material. The dump and public regulatory agencies came in for some criticism by Dario Marenco, a Stockton political activist, and Stockton City Councilman William Sousa. "When I see the violations of the ori- ginal use permit and the county Board of Supervisors refusing to act,I am con- cerned,"said Sousa, an announced can- didate for the Board of Supervisors in next year's election. "When I see spe- cial interest given priority over public interest,I am concerned." Jose Alva, chairman of the Board of Supervisors, told the regional board earlier in the hearing that supervisors are concerned over operation of the dump, but find that most of the tools for regulating it rest with state agencies, and not with the county. Marenco cited a wide geographic range of toxic waste disposal problems, from Sharpe Army Depot near Lathrop to Love Canal at Niagara Falls and Times Beach, Mo., in criticising regula- tion of the disposal. His comments drew a sharp response from Priscilla Hanford, a member of the regional board. "This is not the forum to review the performance of this board. I do take some offense at being painted with a brush as you did,"she told Marenco.