Abatement Monitoring Committee
Report to Cobb Area Council
February 1, 2017
Two members of the Committee, Glenneth Lambert and Karl Parker, met via phone conference with Hobergs Development Director Scott Schellinger and Manager Dan Nelson on January 31, 2017. The following information was reported during that meeting:
DEBRIS REMOVAL:
Thanks to a spell of dry weather over the past week and a half, considerable progress has been made. Jakela Environmental Services, the contractor for specialized hazardous waste removal, has been able to return and complete six days’ worth of work. As a result, 4 HAZMAT containers filled with debris have been hauled off to special dump sites in either Vacaville or Fairfield. Seven additional sites on the property have been abated. Most of the ridge area is now cleared. Once Jakela has completed the specialized HAZMAT removal, regular crews can move in and complete the clean-up. Weather remains a critical variable, but the end is in sight.
WOOD Processing & REMOVAL
The free firewood program has been suspended and they are trying to get caught up with orders already received. Calls and requests are still being received, and when possible, they have tried to respond. Over the last week and a half, they have moved an additional 2 truckloads each carrying 13 cords of wood off the property. However, during periods of heavy rain they have had to suspend wood processing operations because it’s miserable for the workers, and heavy equipment gets bogged down in the mud. Also, churning up the mud adds to the run-off problem.
WORK FORCE
Some good news: the California Human Resources grant which has provided workers for the abatement project, recently announced that instead of providing $14K per worker, they can earn up to $28K. So Hobergs will be able to hire more workers which will help to accelerate the pace of the cleanup!
Interested people can inquire at the EDD Office in Lakeport – 263-3116.
EROSION CONTROL:
As reported at the January CAC meeting, the primary method of control is ground cover in the form of straw and heavier mulch (wood chips & mulch which have been generated on site. They are also using straw wattles at inlets and baffling whenever possible to help control the flow of water heading toward Putah Creek.
Both Scott and Dan are aware of strong concerns that exist among members of the community and are anxious to address those concerns. In addition to utilizing the methods outlined above, they prioritized the cleanup of the hotel and old lodge building to minimize the washing of HAZMAT into the watershed. They expressed awareness of and concern about causing negative impacts downstream. At this point, most of the asbestos and other hazardous material has been removed from the site.
Scott mentioned the difficulty involved in handling such large volumes of water and runoff from the slopes on the east side of Hwy 175, which have been largely stripped of natural erosion control in the form of ground plants, etc. The challenge of managing such a large volume of water has been daunting.
Scott and Dan would like to set up a time when the committee members could tour the site during daylight hours and see for themselves what efforts have been undertaken to control runoff and erosion. In the meantime, Karl will visit the site and take photos for others to observe.
Responding to concerns about the runoff, Scott stated “It’s in our own best interest to manage the water on the property. Doing so speeds the cleanup operations which will make it possible to begin work developing the site.”
HAZARD TREE REMOVAL:
Lake County Lumber continues to remove hazardous trees from the area.
QUESTIONS or CONCERNS?
Contact Karl Parker @ 592-1649 or karl.parker@mchsi.com