Reading over the Cease and Desist Order that will go with the Water Permit if it is issued on July 15, 2010, we have many concerns. There are numerous exemptions to environmental standards such as for mandatory minimum penalties for violations of effluent limitations for biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids during the production of unbleached pulp and settleable solids and turbidity. The list of exemptions is long.
Violations of standards for dangerous chemicals are not spelled out in this order. While they are required to test for some chemicals, this order does not spell out consequences for violations. Chemicals known to be in the wastewater permit are include DDT and Aldrin both of which are listed by the state of California as causing cancer.
They have a schedule which they have to meet. The first date on the schedule is November 19, 2010. The water plant doesn't have to be in full operation until Sept. 17, 2013 and doesn't have to do performance tests until November 29, 2013 over 2 months longer than the original Cease and Desist Order. That means that they will not have to meet environmental standards until that dat.This schedule is going to cost the Water Board and the State of California a lot of money to administer and will have the same result more pollution in the Pacific Ocean.
In the event that they don't comply with the Cease and Desist Order, the Executive Officer may apply to the Attorney General for judicial enforcement and the Water Permit may be brought back before the Water Board to revoke their Water Permit. Thie key word here is "may" which leaves open the possibility of "may not".
The result of this Cease and Desist Order and the Water Permit that comes before the Water Board on July 15 is more pollution and endless exceptions for the law for a facility that has been a repeated violator of the law. Freshwater Tissue Co. is given every break while the people who live near the mill and the environment are considered to be collateral damage.