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THE GRAVEL TRUCK THREAT

Little Victories in a Long War

Overview: After the gravel mines in Oxnard were played out and closed, the Cuyama Valley, which straddles both Ventura and Santa Barbara County, was identified as a potential new source. This is a permanent change and the immediate trigger for this new threat.

There are six mines working or in the application phase. Permits approved or pending would allow 600-800 gravel truck trips per day through Ojai on both Routes 33 to Ventura & Oxnard and 150 through downtown and the East End to Santa Paula. That is one truck every 3-5 minutes of the day, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. A new asphalt plant is going into Santa Paula that could haul all its supplies from Cuyama through Ojai on 150.

Each double hopper truck weighs up to 80,000 pounds. According to recent Federal government reports one such truck does as much damage at 9,600 cars.

This volume of trucking through Ojai could permanently destroy our three key industries, tourism, agriculture and education, turn our town into an industrial truck road and irreparably transform the valley.

In addition to the danger of having this many trucks on 33 & 150, carcinogenic particulate matter combined with gaseous diesel exhaust will dangerously pollute the fragile Ojai Valley air shed dramatically increasing health concerns for what is already the second worse air quality in Ventura County.

Who Controls the Road: While most cities, towns and municipalities are able to control traffic and ban vehicles with more than two axels from using their roads as byways and thoroughfares – because both Route 150 and Highway 33 are state roads, Caltrans has jurisdiction over who can travel on them and not the city of Ojai. Prior to 2001 total vehicle traffic to Cuyama over Route 33 was only 250 cars per day.

Who Issues Permits and Monitors Compliance: Trucking and gravel mine permits are issued by separately by both Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

Although permits with many restrictions are put in place by the two counties, currently there is virtually no monitoring, no enforcement and virtually no penalties issued. Permits on paper have little reality with what is happening on the ground. All monitoring is left up to the public, which is almost impossible as there are currently no way to identify which mines trucks are coming from or going to.

What are the Alternatives: Highway 166, an already-established route for heavy trucking, connects the Cuyama Valley to both the 101 Freeway to the west and the 5 Freeway to the east. Going around this way will cost gravel truck drivers no more than 45 extra minutes on the road each way.

What is Ojai’s Fair Share: For decades Ojai has supported a small quarry in the Valley, the Mossler Rock Quarry, just north of town on 33 and we handle our fair share of trucking.

Who Are the Members of the “Stop the Trucks Coalition”: The “Stop the Trucks” coalition is composed entirely of citizen volunteers such as yourselves. The coalition and its executive board represent the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce; the City of Ojai; the Ojai Valley Unified School District; the Ojai Valley Board of Realtors; Los Padres Forestwatch and many other citizens and affiliated groups. We are represented by a top environmental law firm.

What Actions has the Coalition Undertaken in the Media & Press: Since January of 2007, the Ojai “Stop the Trucks” Coalition has generated over 350 letters that were sent to both the Santa Barbara & Ventura County Planning Departments. We have sent out more than 35 press releases and web page postings. We have been behind over 25 news stories that have appeared in the LA Times, the Ventura County Star, the Ojai Valley News, the Pacific Coast Business Times, the Ventura Reporter, the Santa Barbara News Press, the Santa Barbara Independent,; and the Santa Maria Times. “Stop the Trucks” also broke the news story back in March that the Ozena Mine in Ventura County is controlled by the same owner, Mike Virgilio, whose two gun stores in Compton and Oak View were recently raided and shut down by Federal ATF agents for allegedly selling guns to felons.

What Actions has the Coalition Undertaken about the Diamond Rock Mine: Since last June with the assistance of our environmental law firm, the coalition has been negotiating with the Troesh family’s Diamond Rock mine to have them agree not to send their mine transport trucks through the Ojai Valley for many years to come.

What About the Asphalt Plant in Santa Paula: Rather than face off with the Ojai community, Granite Construction has voluntarily offered to place a ban on sending trucks through Ojai for their proposed Santa Paula asphalt plant.

What About the Ozena Mine in Ventura County: Ozena pulled out of a Mitigated Negative Declaration this spring and is now undergoing a full EIR. We have met with and filed numerous complaints with the Ventura County Planning Department regarding possible permit violations by trucks from Ozena. We have also filed for and obtained a Public Records Request to review all monitoring efforts taken by the County. This past summer the Ventura County District Attorney’s office met with the Planning Department at our request to review allegations of possible inappropriate actions by county staffers who oversaw the Ozena permit. Although no criminal behavior was found, the department subsequently changed staffing assignments for the Ozena permit.

What About Imposing Limits on Heavy Trucking on Routes 150 and 33: We have had various discussions with Caltrans officials and have obtained Public Records Request (Freedom of Information) documents from the agency which we will use as the basis for an application with the State of California to have both Routes 33 and 150 closed to all heavy trucking. We are working with the City of Ojai and doing the preliminary research needed to specifically make an application that could potentially impose some sort of weight, length, size or axle restrictions on thru trucking on both Routes 150 and 33. We view this as the only long term solution to the gravel truck crisis.

What About Monitoring of Trucks: We are working with both counties and the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to insure that adequate monitoring of all mine and trucking operations goes into place, including a requirement that three point camera monitoring of traffic and regular, monthly or quarterly audits of all truck operations take place with those cameras and records available to the public. Remember, without 1) Monitoring; 2) Enforcement; and 3) Penalties; all C.U.P. are nothing more than words on paper.

Why are you Raising Money: Members of the coalition are all volunteers who have donated their time because like you, they believe the Ojai is worth saving. Our fundraising efforts help pay mounting legal expenses in our efforts to challenge the Ozena Mine and others from trying to gain approval to send hundreds of mine transport double hopper trucks through Ojai as well as our efforts to challenge Caltrans so that the City of Ojai may end up reasserting control and jurisdiction on whether or not massive industrialization or our two major road arties can proceed.

How can I Help or Donate Funds: The Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce is helping the coalition collect funds. Please either call the office at 640-2524 or see our “Pledge Form” at:
http://www.ojaipost.com/2007/05/stop_the_trucks_pledge_form.shtml

How can I File a Complaint about Trucks that Appear to be Violating the Rules: We have posted a “Catch the Trucks” complaint form at: http://www.ojaipost.com/2007/06/catch_a_truck_violation_report.shtml

What are the Rules: Some of the mines currently have little or no restrictions imposed upon them. On weekdays Ozena is limited to sending trucks in either direction between Casitas Springs and Ojai from 6:00 am to 7:00am and from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

How can I Contact “Stop the Trucks”: You can call “Stop the Trucks” at 640-2524. Leave a message if no one is available or you can email at smythe@ojai.net and we will try to direct your query to the right person. For periodic news updates or for background information go to: http://www.ojaipost.com/stopthetrucks.shtml

These answers are as accurate as we can provide as of 11/7/07, and are subject to revision.