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TOPANGA ASSOCIATION FOR
A SCENIC COMMUNITY
NewsletterJUNE 2001, VOLUME 39, NUMBER 2
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POISON IN THE
CREEK? The task of removing the giant bamboo-like cane Arundo Donax, as proposed by the Topanga Watershed Committee, has raised serious concerns over the way this should be carried out. The main issue is over the use of herbicides such as Monsanto's Roundup and Rodeo containing glyphosate. Government agencies cope with this noxious weed using glyphosate-based products by spraying or cutting and painting the stubs of the plants. Environmental scientists agree that this substance is toxic' a known endocrine-disruptor in children; they only disagree over the degree of risk involved and length of time that it poses a threat to people, animals, and the environment. As our state agencies, the Santa Monica Mountains Resource Conservation District, the State Parks, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy plan grant proposals for removal of Arundo and other noxious weeds, concerned citizens have created the Santa Monica Mountains Coalition for Alternatives to Toxics (SCAT). Endorsed by this organization, Topanga Canyon Town Council, Topanga Canyon Creekside Homeowners' Association and other canyon organizations, SCAT is modeled after sister organizations' Californians for Alternatives to Toxics (CATS); Californians for Pesticide Reform and the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP). With growing awareness of the estrogenic effects of chemicals that pervade every layer of our environment, and ever rising rates of cancer, allergies, asthma, and learning disabilities in children, we can no longer ignore medical documentation pointing to these chemicals as a public health menace. We have come to a disturbing pass when environmental agencies prescribe poison as a panacea for environmental control. This approach is shortsighted and unacceptable. We need to revisit Silent Spring before Winter is upon us. SCAT is proposing instead that young people--including our Canyon kids looking for a summer job, the Conservation Corps and other youth-oriented groups--under volunteer mentors, be funded in a program to cut the cane over a few years without the use of toxic chemicals. This marriage of young people needing healthy work and the removal of noxious weeds (which never hurt anybody) would be an accomplishment of great social and ecological merit. Yes, it takes time and muscle to dig up the roots, but experts agree that it is the most effective means of control. Our government is loathe to admit causing damage to its citizenry: remember DDT, nuclear fallout, Agent Orange, Desert Storm Syndrome and know that no one is going to take responsibility down the line for this use of herbicides if we allow it to happen here in our watershed. TASC, Topanga Canyon Town Council and Topanga Canyon Creekside Homeowners' Association are opposed to this method of eradication, for Arundo or any non-native plant within this canyon. TASC is represented on the Topanga Watershed Committee's Invasive Plants Subcommittee and will continue to participate in this important watershed management project. We must let our elected officials know ASAP that we object to this potential intrusion of toxic chemicals into our canyon environment of humans, animals, fish and habitat, in favor of an alternative youth-oriented work program. State Senator Sheila Kuelhl Assemblymember Fran Pavley 10951 West Pico Blvd. Suite 202 6355 Topanga Canyon Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064 Woodland Hills, CA. 91367 Phone 310 441-0724 Phone 818 596-4141 Fax 310 441 0724 Fax 818 596-4150 Email lauraplotkin@sen.ca.gov Email assemblymember.Pavley@assembly.ca.gov To contact SCAT, call 455-1060. Go to www.alternatives2toxics.org "links" for chronic and acute health impacts, published medical data from Physicians for Social Responsibility. Once you reach the top of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and travel down on the Valley side there is no development until you come to Woodland Crest on the right hand side. Beyond that area, on the same side of the road, you will encounter one of the last remaining pristine meadows. This Five acres across >from Quest Ranch and the Mobile Home Park, is home to many magnificent oak and walnut trees. As of this writing, there is a plot plan working its way through the Regional Planning Department to put in nine building pads. In effect, this would destroy the natural beauty that we now see. See the enclosed Picture. Most of the trees would be removed and the land's rolling hills would be flattened. A 20ft wide road would be put in and a cul-de-sac would be developed. Tasc has obtained the Tract Map and is waiting for the public comment time to begin. There will be Regional Planning hearings on this project because the owners are requesting a change that requires public review. This development is called Live Oaks. Developments that actually destroy oaks should select more appropriate names such as Dead Oaks. This development will destroy yet another pristine woodlands and would add to the already burdened Topanga Canyon Boulevard traffic and pollution. The plight of deer families that live on this land is of concern to many people who have observed them over the past few years. .We will keep the community and members of TASC informed of this development in the coming months. There is a storm brewing just north of LA County. It is called Ahmanson Ranch. This massive project on the LA County border, if built, will change the complexion of LA County forever. The environmental impacts on the projected land, and Los Angeles, could never be mitigated!. Washington Mutual Bank owns the property and intends to build 3,050 homes. The Supplemental Impact Report is due out by the end of June or beginning of July. One of the items that will not be addressed is TRAFFIC. The public will have the opportunity to comment on the report, and by all means, must. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors needs to hear the public loud and clear on this issue. The TASC Board was surprised at the news that Bruce Babbit, our former Secretary of Interior is now working for the Law Firm that is representing Ahmanson. Babbitt joined Latham & Watkins at the same time as his former deputy at Interior, David J. Hayes. Babbitt, a Harvard-educated lawyer, had indicated in interviews that he did not intend to practice law after stepping down from eight years as Interior secretary. Later, Babbitt, who is 62, said he needed to make money to cover his considerable legal defense bills arising >from an independent counsel investigation. Before he left office, Babbitt was cleared of allegations that he lied to a Senate panel about his role in rejecting an Indian casino in Wisconsin five years ago. Ahmanson Ranch's developer, Seattle-based Washington Mutual Inc., also hired Latham & Watkins long before Babbitt joined the firm, to help advance the plan to build 3,050 homes. Ahmanson spokesman Tim McGarry said Babbitt's job is to serve as an intermediary between the company and critics who have helped stall the project since it was approved by Ventura County in 1992 by filing more than a dozen lawsuits. Babbitt "has looked closely and objectively at this project and believes it's a good one and a responsible one," McGarry said. He insisted that Babbitt's role is not to exert political muscle with regulators. "At this point, he has had no contact with any elected officials or any government agency people and that's not expected to be his role," McGarry said. Agoura, Calabassas, Woodland Hills, Topanga, Malibu, Canoga, Reseda and the rest of LA County will be besieged with a complete drain of their resources. The public investment in open space will be wasted. The hard work of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the National Park Service, the Mountains Restoration Trust, The County Of Los Angeles with our Proposition A Funds and the hard and endless work of hundreds of dedicated people will have been in vain due to the impact of over 3,050 homes and buildings going in on that land. The Ventura Freeway will actually become a parking lot. Alternate routes into LA will be used to the max and beyond. As we see the fight is going to escalate very soon, it will be imperative that Topangans, who feels this project is inappropriate, will need to make themselves heard. One way to start would be to re-evaluate your personal and business relationships with Washington Mutual. Let your conscience be your guide. TASC will continue to keep the community informed on this most important development. In a quest to provide its own proprietary brand of wireless communication service on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Sprint Communications finds itself in the unenviable position of playing catch-up with other wireless communications providers. Not only that, but now there are new rules they must play by. Other cell phone companies have installed equipment along the Boulevard, but they did it prior to a change in County ordinances. Those kinds of installations now require a conditional use permit and approval from the Planning Commission. So, according to Jeff Seymore and Rob Searcy (of Morey/Seymore & Associates, the consulting firm hired to act as liaison with any involved parties), their boss, Sprint Communications must now, unlike those with equipment already in place, answer concerns of the Commissioners and citizens whose environment will be impacted. The purpose of the County's new, well-intentioned ordinance is to "provide a uniform and comprehensive set of standards and conditions for the placement of wireless telecommunications facilities'ÄP, while not unreasonably discriminating among providers'ÄP. It is the intent of these regulations to encourage the co-location of wireless telecommunication facilities." In a meeting with representatives of TASC's Board on DATE, amid talk of "mono-pole," "bi-directional," "omni-directional," "whip antennas," "microw ave antennas," "frequency division multiple access (FDMA)," "time division multiple access (TDMA)," "code division multiple access (CDMA)," "transmitters," "receivers," "megahertz" "milliwatts," and "appurtenant radio equipment boxes," Seymore and Searcy outlined some of the technical realities they face, while they attempted to answer some of TASC's concerns There are obvious esthetic issues. Not as obvious, but perhaps more important, are health and safety (contamination and fire) issues. The draft ordinance precludes objections based solely on radiation concerns. We were told PCB's present in transformers will be sufficiently contained. We were told Sprint's advanced technology precludes the sharing of space that co-location strives to attain. We were told about ventilation needs that prevent appurtenant boxes from being installed underground, but not about the vegetation clearance or fire risks involved. We were told that gel pack battery technology prevents contamination from leakage, but were not told what contamination might result from an auto accident. TASC wants to make sure that the "standards and conditions" of the County's ordinance adequately protect our environmental and esthetic concerns as well. We want to make sure that the County, while "not unreasonably discriminating among [private] providers," guarantees that providers accept the obligations, as well as the advantages, of acting as public utilities. A hearing on Sprint's Topanga project and proposed amendments to the County of L.A. Draft Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Ordinance is scheduled for a Thursday, June 28 meeting of the Planning Commission. Morey/Seymore & Associates has been involved in the drafting of some of the amendments, so it can be assumed that Sprint's concerns are being addressed. It is imperative that the concerns of residents also be brought before the Board and addressed as well. For questions re: Sprint project in Topanga, case 00-61-[3] call Saima Qureshy 213/974-6443 between 7:30am-6pm M-Th The hearing will be held at 9am, on June 28, at Room150, Hall of Records, 320 W. Temple, L.A. The Draft ordinance can be viewed at http://www.planning.co.la.ca.us/drp_revw.html Let the Commission know what you want for our canyon. This organization supports the preservation of the land in lower Topanga. The State Parks system has shown that they are committed to the purchase. We know that this deal is not as simple as Canyon Oaks, which was undeveloped land with no one living on it. What we have here is a piece of property with 50 families. Solutions to this problem are being worked on. Our beloved Senator Sheila Kuehl, has stepped in to help in the fragile negotiations between the tenants and the overseeing authorities. The Topanga Messenger has done excellent front page coverage on the sensitive nature of the issue at hand and we will continue to monitor it. TASC board members will be attending the public meetings to be held in the near
As you see, much is being accomplished, but still more needs to be done. We invite you to join us or renew your membership for the year 2001. Please use the form below.
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One year Membership: $15 Individual, $20 Couple Name(s)
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Please send remittance to TASC, P.O. Box 352, Topanga, CA 90290. Thank You! |
