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CSPA asks SWRCB
to vacate Regional Board's waste discharge permit for the Soper
Company's Spanish Mine, a toxic heavy metal polluter
September 17, 2008 -- In a recent letter to the State Water Resources
Control Board, CSPA's Executive Director, Bill Jennings, requested that
the board vacate the Regional Boards waste permit for the Soper
Company's Spanish Mine.
Soper-Wheeler Co. has been a part of the California forest management
scene since early in the 20th Century when the Soper and Wheeler
families shifted their activities from Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to the
West Coast. Soper-Wheeler Co. now operates in the counties of Butte,
Humboldt, Mendocino, Nevada, Plumas, Santa Cruz, Sierra, Sonoma, and
Yuba where it manages 97,000 acres of forest land.
By the year 2010 Soper-Wheeler Co. will produce enough lumber for
3800 homes per year. If considered in terms of paper and other forest
products that production would be enough to meet the needs of 80,000
people per year or if converted to energy that would be enough to heat
15,000 homes per year every year forever.
The company acquired Spanish
Mine as part of a purchase of land for growing forest products. The mine
had not been in operation for some time. While the mine was categorized
as "abandoned" by the Regional Board's permit, CSPA holds that
since the Soper Company now owns the mine, that they are the owners and
responsible party.
A number of excuses were cited in the Regional
Board's decision to allow excessive discharge from the facility
including a lack of power at the mine site. However, CSPA pointed out
that, "Some may find the argument interesting that sources of power
are always available to conduct industrial activities, but power is an
obstacle that cannot be overcome to achieve compliance with
environmental regulations."
The mine is a source of heavy metal
pollutants including, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead, nickel, cobalt, iron,
and manganese. These heavy metals empty into Poorman Creek and where
CSPA contends there is an insufficient mixing zone to safely disburse
these fish killing metals.
CSPA requests that the State Board either vacate and
remand the current order to the Regional Board with instructions prepare
and circulate a new tentative order that comports with regulatory
requirements. Or, alternatively; prepare, circulate and issue a new
order that is protective of identified beneficial uses and comports with
regulatory requirements.
CSPA's Petition for Review