Greetings Readers!

Do you have questions and concerns that you want to be included in the LBAM Environmental Impact Report draft? Now is the time to send them to CDFA’s Jim Rains.

Deadline: August 19th 2008

Sending a real letter is best, but you may also send a fax or email, though it’s easier for these to get ‘lost’.

Contact Information:

Jim Rains, Staff Environmental Scientist
CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax: 916-654-1018
Email: jrains@cdfa.ca.gov
Phone: 916-654-0317

Jim Rains
Staff Environmental Scientist
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Division
1220 N Street, Room A-316
Sacramento, Ca 95814

Or send emails to: LBAM_PEIR@cdfa.ca.gov

CDFA Being Sneaky

The CDFA has fallen under severe criticism from Senator Simitian for deciding to hold only 2 scoping sessions in the entire state (one in LA and one in Sacramento) despite the fact that their pesticide plans encompass 12 whole counties across the state.

Here is Senator Simitian’s letter to A.G. Kawamura:

July 25, 2008

Mr. A.G. Kawamura
Secretary Department of Food and Agriculture
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Secretary Kawamura:

Throughout the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) controversy, I have tried to give you and the Department of Food and Agriculture the benefit of the doubt.

However, the Department’s recent decision to limit its scoping sessions to venues in Los Angeles and Sacramento is incomprehensible and unacceptable.

The purpose of these scoping sessions is to provide the affected members of the public with a meaningful opportunity to comment. Failure to hold at least one session at a location on the Central Coast or in the San Francisco Bay Area threatens the validity of the EIR, and can only engender continued anger and opposition to your plan.

In the strongest possible terms, I urge you to reconsider the
locations for these hearings.

Sincerely,

S. Joseph Simitian
State Senator, 11the District

Clearly, CDFA is trying to keep the whole EIR process as hush hush as possible and their choice to hold scoping sessions in only 2 locations when millions of Californians will be affected by the outcome is unacceptable but typical of their general lack of respect for public input.

Mark that deadline on your calendar for contributing to the EIR.

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