RE: MCRWA’s proposed cloud seeding proceeding on the basis of a negative mitigation report without benefit of a full environmental impact report (EIR).
Statement to be included in Board Packets, as suggested.
This is part of what I posted, straight off my blog:
(See prior post on this subject, a few posts below)
In addition to the above, I would like to stress that there are over 200 registered voters who live on the South Coast of Big Sur, outside of the somewhat transitory Esalen population (and at least an equal number who don’t register, for whatever reason), in isolated rural pockets who are stakeholders in the proposed action.
All of us were completely unaware of the proposed action by this board which directly impacts our lives, our properties, and our livelihoods until Friday, December 4th in the late afternoon. I would hope that the Board consider its decision carefully, and develop a full and complete Environmental Impact Report before allowing this project to proceed.
This EIR should take into consideration those concerns I expressed above, as well as those we, who will be impacted, may not have yet realized. I suggest that this EIR be developed before this board takes any action on this proposal, and that time for the scars of the Basin Complex Fire and the Chalk Fire to heal, which the BAER report indicated would be five years, or 2013, also be considered in the EIR. I would also hope that this board consider acting with more transparency to impacted communities in the future by broader dissemination of proposed actions so that the public comment period can be a meaningful one, not just a rote rendition to satisfy compliance requirements.
I plan to be at the December 21st meeting, if weather and road conditions allow, to address you personally. If there is any further information you require of me before that date, please feel free to contact me by using any of the means provided below.
(Ed. Note – I am reading all sorts of scientific articles on cloud seeding, attempting to educate myself.)
Maybe this is too fine tuning for cloud-seeding operations, but maybe you could suggest that if seeding is going to be done, it only be over the eastern-facing slopes of the coast range (of the Big Sur), to enhance the probability that the Salinas Valley get the rain, and not the western slopes above Highway One. Perhaps the EIR could specifically look at that technique.
technique’s are techniques for because,–they’ve never yet been etched in stone!?