ojai news at The Ojai Post :: blog, newspaper, events in Ojai, California

Committee members disagree...

Shapiro, an active participant to the citizens’ effort to keep out the proposed Weldon Canyon dump site in the early ‘90s, explained that air quality in the valley is at a much more delicate state than planners claim. Pollutants from all over the county accumulate in the valley’s basin and get trapped, he said. Though the air quality impacts from increased truck traffic would be unsuitable for any community, it is a particular concern for Ojai’s growing senior population."

“Pollutants pose a risk for everyone, but they are especially dangerous to young children and people over 60,” he said. “Highway 33 is a terribly inappropriate route for industrialization.”

"Highway 33, so named because it was constructed in 1933, was built at a time that never anticipated the weight and width of gravel trucks today, said Shapiro. The 80,000-pound trucks weighing the equivalent of between 15 and 20 sports utility vehicles each, have already taken a toll on the Arnaz Grade. The lower portion of the grade that was recently rebuilt has already begun to crack under the weight of the trucks, he said."

Rikki Horne, president of the Ojai Unified School District board, said that the despite the EIR claims, the increase truck trips would inevitably have a huge impact on local school travel.

Though the current regulations do not allow trucks to travel during the times the students generally arrive at campus and when they leave, these regulations have not been enforceable and are repeatedly disregarded, she said. Moreover Nordhoff High School, which is located alongside the highway has students coming and going at all hours of the day with some arriving as early as 6 a.m. and leaving as late as midnight. Trucks passing during school hours also interfere with the children’s outdoor education and sports practice. They pose a health and safety risk as well as noise disturbance during indoor class time, she said.

The increased truck traffic has alerted local real estate agents who foresee a huge hindrance to their sales as well as a plunge in the value of local property. Riki Strandfeldt, president of the Ojai Valley Board of Realtors said that if the proposed mine projects are approved, and truck traffic increases, the state mandates that a disclosure statement would be given to every property buyer, notifying them of the potential issue of truck traffic.

Scott Eicher, CEO of the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, quoted local citrus rancher Tony Thatcher who said Ojai sits on a three-legged stool: agriculture, education and tourism. “The truck traffic could destroy all if not one of these legs,” he said. “Our avocado and citrus crops will be destroyed by the pollution, no one is going to want to pay money to bring their children to schools if they can’t enjoy the outdoor beauty of the valley because it’s so polluted, and no one is going to want to visit if they can’t see the mountains because the air is brown.”

Though the EIR for the Diamond Rock Mine included a condition that recommends a ban on trucks traveling from the mine through the Ojai Valley, the project could still be approved without granting that condition. The deal is also contingent on Ventura County officials banning Ventura gravel trucks from traveling through Santa Barbara County.

“I think that because of the recommendation, some people in the community might have gotten the impression that the community can relax,” said 1st District Supervisor Steve Bennett. “That would be a mistake, The community needs to keep itself organized and keep raising funds. This EIR alone needs some good analysis by experts. People should not be complacent at this critical time.