Larry Glass, NEC Board President
Caroline Griffith, NEC Executive Director
Sea Level Rise and Wastewater Treatment
The rush to develop more housing in Arcata and the surrounding communities is heating up. Although much of this is due to the expansion of Cal Poly Humboldt, housing has been a problem in Arcata for decades with too few available spaces and ridiculously high rents. There have been several controversial housing projects proposed within the last five years that have divided the community over what the future of Arcata is going to look like. Will there be multi-story housing developments, tiny house villages, a combination of both or none of the above? It’s certainly something that needs to be debated as we look for ways to provide enough housing and keep it affordable. What is often overlooked in this whole discussion is the unique and special asset that is the Arcata Marsh and Wastewater Treatment Facility. Developed in the 70s by scientists George Allen and Robert Gearhart, with political help from then-City Councilman Dan Hauser, this was considered a revolutionary solution for Arcata’s wastewater.
Here we are 50 years later and the city is embarking on substantial improvements to update this facility (including incorporating UV disinfecting technology to mitigate issues associated with byproducts of the chlorine disinfection process entering the Bay) while keeping the marsh as part of the process. However, there is some concern that this update isn’t taking into account the growth that’s beginning to take place in Arcata because of the university, and the potential growth associated with offshore wind developments. We think that before Arcata gets too far out over its skis it needs to make sure that the true capabilities of its wastewater plant — even with all the improvements that were approved last year at the price tag of $60 million for Phase 1 — meet the expected growth and account for sea level rise.
According to information put out by the City, “The Facilities Plan and CEQA analysis for Phase I and the envisioned Phase II incorporated a 20 percent growth factor (equating to a population of 22,410).” The 2020 Census puts the population at 18,300 people. Phase 2 of the upgrade is on hold at the request of the State Water Board, which has provided funding for a feasibility study to look into sea level rise adaptation, including the potential of moving some or all of the plant, as well as capacity for future growth. Additionally, when the California Coastal Commission approved the upgrades to the plant last year, it was with the stipulation that this permit was for 30 years (until September 8, 2052) and in the meantime the City needed to be planning for sea-level rise adaptation, up to and including relocating all or portions of the facility to higher ground.
So while we have capacity for some growth, we really need to be thinking 10, 20 and 30 years into the future to make sure that this once very innovative and still absolutely vital piece of infrastructure can still function as our population grows and the sea level rises. The State Water Board feasibility study is supposed to be done at the end of 2023, so expect to hear more from us as the process unfolds.
More on Cannabis
There is a lot of controversy surrounding Humboldt County’s Cannabis Ordinance and the environmental impacts of the industry, which led us to join with Citizens for Sustainable Humboldt (CSH) and the Redwood Region Audubon Society (RRAS) to file suit claiming numerous CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) violations. During this process we learned that the County is not even following its own regulations. In many of our local communities cannabis is pitting neighbor against neighbor. One such small community banded together, started an initiative process and gained enough signatures to put a measure on the ballot. While the NEC was not involved in the signature collection we do support the right of community members to address the problems with the County’s Cannabis Ordinance and its implementation. This initiative is very controversial and is exposing even more division in our community. What we would like to see happen is the County being pushed to negotiate and fix the many problems with its cannabis ordinance and its enforcement, before this initiative hits the ballot and further divides the community. You should urge your supervisor to take an active role in trying to resolve this conflict.
“Energy Solutions”
As we enter into what is projected to be a years-long planning and permitting process for the development of the Humboldt Wind Energy Area and associated energy transmission infrastructure, one of the first – and most noticeable – aspects of this development will be the proposed wind terminal in Humboldt Bay. In October of last year, the Humboldt Bay Harbor and Recreation District, the agency with permit jurisdiction over all tide, submerged and other lands within the Bay, announced it was entering into a partnership with Crowley Wind Services to develop a terminal to serve the wind energy industry, including the construction of the turbines.
Crowley Wind Services is a division of Crowley, a privately-held logistics, marine and “energy solutions” company. Wind energy is one of its newer offerings, as Crowley has been involved with fossil fuel storage and logistics for some time. One area of concern for us as we think about the development of our sleepy bay into a busy port is making sure that this company doesn’t shift to “energy solutions” like liquid natural gas in the interim before the offshore wind project takes off. We will be pushing for the Harbor District to include in the lease agreement with Crowley a provision that the terminal being developed will not be used for the export or storage of liquid natural gas or other fossil fuels. In fact, we’d like to see a full prohibition of new fossil fuel storage, export or import facilities on the Bay.
In addition, we’d like to see Crowley and the Harbor District commit to building a zero emissions port, something that the much larger ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have recently committed to. Both of those ports decided to make the shift when they realized the adverse effects that diesel emissions were having on surrounding communities, as well as the environment. Port equipment such as terminal tractors, forklifts, yard trucks, cranes, and handlers commonly run on diesel, which is not only a source of greenhouse gas emissions, but can also increase respiratory issues and cancer risk for those living and working in areas with heavy diesel exhaust. Making the commitment now, as the wind terminal is being built, will be much easier than shifting later on as state electrification mandates come into effect. The Harbor District and Crowley are looking to execute a lease within the year, so let them know that responsible port development needs to be a priority. You can find commissioner contact information at humboldtbay.org/commissioner-profiles.