Pubdate: Tue, 30 Jul 2013
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2013 Chico Enterprise-Record
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority
Author: Roger H. Aylworth

BUTTE LETTER LAUNCHES EFFORT TO GET STATE WATER PANEL INTO POT GARDEN FIGHT

OROVILLE -- Police officers, sheriff's deputies and law enforcement 
of various kinds all accept that an element of danger is part of the 
job, but it's a different story for water quality officers.

In early May, Bill Connelly, chairman of the Butte County Board of 
Supervisors, sent a letter from the board to Karl E. Longley, 
chairman of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, 
asking the agency to join in the fight against illegal marijuana 
grows by enforcing water quality laws that are applied to business 
operators, loggers, industries, farmers and ranchers.

In response to Connelly's letter, Pamela C. Creedon, executive 
officer for the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, 
agreed marijuana operations present threats to water quality.

But she wrote enforcement would be expensive, and "accessing and 
inspecting these sites present a danger to Central Valley Water Board staff."

"We simply cannot, in good conscience, put staff in harm's way," she wrote.

In a telephone interview Monday, Connelly agreed water quality 
control officers "are not set up to go after criminals," but that 
raises a question of unequal enforcement of the law.

"They will come in against a logging company, they'll come in against 
a farmer, a rancher, but they won't come in against a marijuana 
grower? Give me a break," said Connelly.

On July 19, Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Loma Rica, who represents Butte 
County, sent a letter to Creedon asking a similar question.

"Why are we letting them (marijuana growers) continue to damage our 
water quality, when strict guidelines are placed on the farmers 
across the state, like the timber industry and grape growers? The 
Clean Water Act needs to be applied across the board, to everyone," said Logue.

In order to provide the water quality officers the security they 
deserve, Logue suggested, "If we call upon the National Guard, I'm 
sure they can send someone to assist you, or even the local sheriffs 
can accompany you."

Butte County Undersheriff Kory Honea said Logue is correct. He said 
the Sheriff's Office would happily provide backup to water quality 
control officers or anybody else whose job involves "protecting society."

In a telephone interview Monday, Logue said calling out the National 
Guard was an option he would rather not see used, but working with 
the local sheriff's offices would be good.

Even though Connelly's letter seems to have brought the question to 
the surface, Logue said this is not a only a Butte County concern. He 
said this is a statewide problem.

He also said, "This is the first time I've seen a state agency say 
they will not investigate a situation because they are not safe."

Logue said he has the utmost respect for the state's water quality 
agency and he asserted they do deserve to have the protection they need.

He said he is working on arranging a meeting in the Governor's Office 
with representatives from the county, water quality control, the 
Sheriff's Office and the governor to find a workable solution.

"I understand the concern of the water quality control board. We want 
to make sure they feel safe.

"We want to make sure the laws are applied equally," he said.

A call was made to the water agency but the call was not returned by deadline.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom