First of all, just a quick reminder about the next important NRC meeting regarding decommission plans on Monday evening in Carlsbad, (click here for details).

Now, in response to inquiries about our city council election, I humbly offer my observations and statements from each candidate. We do not have non-profit status so we are not limited in expressing political viewpoints. All of the candidates are worthy of our appreciation and respect for having served or being willing to serve our community. While we may differ in our priorities and opinions, I don't doubt the sincerity and dedication they each avow. We are fortunate to have such a fine group of citizens to choose from.

Out of the many issues concerning San Clemente, only one rises to the top when measured by the danger it represents to our community and beyond; the decommissioning of SONGS. There is a senate bill S2326 which, if approved, will give us more influence over the decision on whether or not we become a permanent nuclear waste site. In the past, every previous or current city council member, other than Lori Donchak, deferred to the experts or claimed to have no jurisdiction on this matter. She automatically gets our support for that alone, but deserves it for any number of reasons.

Jim Dahl and Tim Brown deserve some credit for the unanimous approval of a resolution in December, 2013, which addressed related issues of evacuation and removing the deadly waste. However, they did not challenge the wisdom of Edison in their desire to restart a broken reactor without fixing it first. Edison wanted to run it for five months to see if it leaked radiation into the environment again! It turned out that the so-called "fearmongers" were actually well informed citizens that had it right. Perhaps that experience has caused them to reconsider who they listen to.

The following is what they all had to say on this topic, along with another issue our group wanted to be addressed as well, concerning trees and views. Please read each of them and play an active role in supporting the candidate of your choice. I'm sure any of them would be happy to provide you with yard signs, so I've linked their contact information to their name in their statements below.

Don't just vote - get others to vote too. Democracy rules!

Thanks,

Gary

BTW - Other candidates in this election who support our views on decommissioning include Dave Peiser for 49th District, Wendy Gabriella for Assembly, and Toni Iseman for Laguna Beach City Council.

Councilmembers with a track record:

Lori Donchak:

Nuclear Waste/Decommissioning. My definition of decommissioning insists that the nuclear waste housed at SONGS be moved to a permanent repository and away from San Clemente. Officials say it's a $4 billion project to decommission--the truth is that it is an $8 billion process, because an additional $4b is what it takes to permanently store spent fuel rods away from SONGS. I will continue to be an active voice and will work with advocates to make sure information is shared within the community and that San Clemente's voice is heard in Sacramento and Washington.

Additionally, I believe it is city council's obligation to keep a firm watch and high standards on emergency preparedness throughout the process of decommissioning. There can be no short cuts here.

Finally, I'm proud of my role in making the La Pata extension a reality and look forward to ensuring it's role in emergency access planning once it's finished.

Trees/Views: I look forward to the Tree Ordinance, as issues like this deserve to be master-planned rather than tackled situationally. I do believe private view protection is the job of government. I love trees. I love mature trees. I love hillside protection ordinances that preserve treelines. Am hoping that in the Ordinance the city's plant palette/tree palette is updated to reflect current water practices, etc. Also believe tree maintenance practices need an update.

Jim Dahl:

"Gary: I think you know my position on the waste storage on site at Songs. I have been a long time advocate of removal of all waste stored at Songs to a site that the US Gvt. promised a long time ago. Yucca Mt. or another site. The tree issue is complex. Laguna Beach has such an ordinance .It has pitted neighbor against neighbor . Trimming and lacing are good answers. But we need trees to clean the air and O2-Co2 transfer. We also need to plant trees that are drought resistive and they need to be native trees."

Tim Brown:

"For decommissioning, I would make the following statement:

"The highest priority for me as a resident of San Clemente and an elected official is 1.) the expedited decommissioning of SONG's 2.) safe interim storage of the waste and 3.) complete focus on the removal of the waste asap to a federal repository."

For the Tree/View Preservation question, I would make the following statement:

"Although I am hesitant to make a statement on the City Policy prior to receiving all of the recommendations from Staff and the Commissions and Committees, I can say that I approve of a balanced approach to this question of tree preservation. An approach that would lean towards preserving our urban forest with rigid criteria and standard to meet before I can support the replacement of any public trees."

Wanna-be Councilmembers:

Rick Nicol:

At the Cox cable TV forum taping, our mayor stated that nuclear waste storage was a federal issue. He said, in so many words, that the critics needed to know more about the issue, that dry cask storage is virtually infallible, and implied that it's not really within the scope of the council's authority to take meaningful action. I completely disagree. The most important point is that we cannot wait for the federal government to come up with a national repository for all waste. For us, the earthquake/tsunami/sabotage risks make us far more vulnerable than any other site in the country. We can't wait for a one-size-fits-all solution. The gravity of risk unique to our region should be driving our demands. The city should be out front in taking our demands to the highest authorities.

I oppose any measure that would give homeowners the "right" to have city trees removed just because they're willing to pay for it. The review process currently in place is more than adequate to address resident requests for the removal of trees that are diseased or pose safety hazards. While there is no statutory right to an ocean view, I understand where homeowners with views are concerned about tree growth. I have a nice, tree-enhanced ocean view as do many of my neighbors. We work together and cooperate in trimming and maintaining the health of our trees. The city should do the same and work with residents on a case by case basis. The focus should be on keeping trees healthy and trimmed - and planting more trees - not on removing them.

Kathy Ward:

I want the city to do a resolution that the Feds allocate a place for waste to go and remove it. I think our city should be the first city and ask other cities to join us. While it is there, I want it stored in the safest manner possible. I went to a CEP meeting on October 14th and listened to reasons why Edison likes these casks. I am not convinced they are the best. I agree that prevention is the absolute best way to ensure public safety.

On the issue of trees, we had two areas recently that residents were very upset about the growth of trees that had blocked views. I think that could have been avoided if city had just trimmed them in the past Because they hadn't trimmed them, it came to be a big deal and they ended up being trimmed and the arborist that came out recommended trimming every year and a half. We were not doing that and I think it lead to this problem. I am looking forward to the canopy of trees called out for in General Plan in South El Camino Real. I think we will pick a species that doesn't grow 150 feet tall, though. I think that will be the key in the future. Lets find trees that will grow here and be strategic in where they go and be sensitive to views because I think views are important also. I'd Like to be proactive and research the trees to present to the city what will grow and what the benefits of each species are. I never got to hear the proposal from San Clemente Green on trees and I would be Interested in that. If you have information on species I would like to see that. I ask staff all the time for this information.

Mikii Rathmann:

Regarding the decommissioning:

It is of the utmost importance for us to inspect what we expect in regards to the decommissioning of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. While the city is not responsible for the necessary steps needed to close the plant, we must stay vigilant and hold Edison accountable for a timely and safe process. Dry casking the spent fuel rods is the first step. Then we need to ensure that Edison follows through on their promise to remove the dry casked rods from the facility. Leaving them on site in our backyard is not an option.

Regarding Tree/View Preservation:

First off, I love trees. That being said, it's reasonable for homeowners who purchased a home with a view, to maintain their view. You pay a premium for a home with a view, and your property taxes reflect that. In the event that city owned trees are impeding views I believe we should do something about it, whether that be thinning, lacing, relocating or removing a tree. I do not feel that it's in the best interest of the city to get involved with private disputes regarding trees or to create views for homes that never had them.

DONATIONS

We are co-sponsoring a special event with the League of Women Voters and the Sierra Club to inform people of the great deals on energy upgrades for your home. It will be on Thursday evening November 13th at the Community Center. More details to come. We would like to be able to buy some local advertising for this presentation. Please help with a non-deductible donation if you can. Thank you!

Checks can be sent to:

San Clemente Green

2837 Penasco

San Clemente, CA 92673.

One time donation

Monthly donation