Keep these documents coming Brian. We have been saying that Waste plans to have Simi Valley be the dump for Los Angeles. This document confirms that very accusation. Just like the mafia, Waste will take itself down with its stupidity in putting to paper its objectives. How very sad that ex-Mayor Bill Davis with defend Waste in light of its goals to have Simi Valley be the toilet bowl of Los Angeles.

Brian:

Clearly, your favorite sleuther must have been Sherlock Holmes, for once again you have unearthed and published another sordid example of documented evidence of the essence of Waste's "elementary," business plan. After perusing Waste's corporate reports provided during annual stockholders meetings, (by the way, I'm one of those Waste stockholders), any red-blooded investor will tell you that the essence of Waste's business plan is simple. Buy cheap and charge high! Essentially, if you're one of Waste's managers, and you want to climb up the corporate ladder as high as you can, you got to do one thing very well. Buy and/or develop canyons cheaply, then stuff them full of millions of tons of waste, all of which are subject to Waste's tip fees (currently $45 per ton)and then bingo, you can hear the cash registers ringing all the way to the bank. The bottom line here is that Mike Smith, won't get his next Christmas bonus (nor Bill Davis his new RV) unless they can deliver a sufficient number of local elected officials in favor of Waste's $3.1 Billion mega-dump expansion as quickly and as quitely as possible. With Dr. Watson and you on their tails, they've now gotta hell of a challenge. Good luck and keep publishing those secret corporate documents. Since this monster of a dump will be with us for 35, 50 maybe a 100 years, the public has a right to know every little trick that is in Mike Smith's dirty little basket.

Agustin Pinchard

Odd how LA can pledge not to open any more landfills but expect Simi Valley to take their trash. This landfill is not being expanded to meet the local community's needs, it is being expanded because Los Angeles is not being responsible. Why is that our problem again?

If this expansion was about Simi Valley trash that would make it different for me.

We are being asked to become LA's addiction enablers. Instead, we should show LA et al some tough love in the form of a resounding NO. If that doesn't work then our Supervisors should charge WMI a surcharge of $100/ton for out-of-county waste.

Speaking of competition, why NOT begin speaking to WMI's competitors?, to see if there are alternatives to WMI's expansion plans?

Is it a standard practice to try to round up the competition for local businesses?

It is WM's land. Why would they allow others to use it? Or is your plan to open another dump in town? Maybe in the Knolls?

Why does Simi Valley want to be like Palmdale and Lancaster?
Dump LA trash in LA!

No one's suggesting a plan that requires WMI to let others use their land as a dump but so far as I know neither have our elected leaders looked into alternatives to WMI's expansion.

Right on gs. How does the expansion benefit Simi Valley? Zero! 3,000 tons per day now of garbage and 30% of it coming from outside Ventura County. Add an additional 3,000 tons per day under the application and now 2,100 tons per day from Ventura County and 3,900 tons per day from outside Ventura County. That is 65% of the garbage coming from outside Ventura County. And that is Ventura County. The amount coming from Simi Valley is miniscule. Simi Valley spends twenty years elevating itself from Slimy Valley reputation and now elected officials are apparently proud to have Simi Valley known for its mega dump taking garbage from throughout Los Angeles County and further. Astonishing!

ACtually Luca, the "Elected Officials" in Simi valley have not taken a stand yet. I am sure, once all the facts are out, they will see the need to come forward and give their assesment of the expansion plan and whether they support the expansion or not.

A stand? How about a hicup? You have to live in a cave to not do the simple arithmetic and realize that the 6,000 tons of garbage per day can't come from Simi Valley or Ventura County. How about a gut reaction and not a stand? How about setting up a committee of Councilmembers to review the matter, hold public meetings, and make a recommendation to the Council? They have taken that approach for far less serious matters than the mega-dump. But, as always, I'll take your word for it. You sure are a loyal member of the Council team. We wouldn't expect less from such a consumate professional as you, Barbra.

Thanks for the kind words/

Barbra, any update for readers on your committee?

Brian,
I am putting the finishing touches on the press release today, and hopefully tomorrow, you will see the final results...

Brian,
I am putting the finishing touches on the press release today, and hopefully tomorrow, you will see the final results...

Is it final now? Can you post your press release?

The release has been sent :)

Did you reach out to the new supervisor? His daughter is getting involved in politics and you might want to include her. That way we know this isn't just a Dantona team reunion.

She is a member of the central committee and she would bring someone connected to the county into your process.

Sorry Fair, but I didn't understand from your comment what qualifications Supervisor Foy's daughter has with respect to landfills. It sounded like you are saying she should be appointed to the Task Force because she is the daughter of a County Supervisor. I suppose she can put that on her resume. Oh, come on Fair, just grow up!

I thought the purpose of the committee was to learn more and then report to the public.

Well, I think a member of the central committee with close family ties to the only local elected official that will vote on the proposal would be a good idea.

It is true that Barbra Williamson will never vote on the proposal most likely, yes?

More should be done to include the county supervisor since he is critical to the decision process.

Unless you people already have someone that is connected to Peter Foy. Do you?

Barbra,

I like the idea of having a citizen Task Force. However I'm left with the impression that you have stacked your task force with individuals predisposed toward a particular conclusion before they have even reviewed the information. I'm referring specifically to Gary Selvaggio, who has written a number of inflammatory comments on this blog about Waste Management and the proposal to expand the landfill. He has already attempted to manufacture his own "facts" that are simply untruthful, such as the supposed 19-mile long line of garbage trucks. I have no confidence that he can be impartial and I do not think that somebody like that should be on your task force. I can already tell you with 100% certainty what his conclusions will be even before you begin your work. What is the point of having sombody like that on your task force when he has already has reached his own conclusions? He is not there to review the facts, he is there to execute his agenda.

Dump him from your task force or he will drag down the productivity and credibility of the whole team.

So Gary has some early opinions on Waste Managment? Who doesn't? Gary can read documents and ask questions. When the Task Force makes its recommendation, people can chose to listen or not based on the facts. Even you, Bubba, can form a Task Force and study the expansion application. I'm sure Waste has already formed a "citizen" group to support its application. Get on board.
I don't know Gary, but what he writes usually makes sense. Im sure any early confusion about "tpd" being tons per day or trips per day will be cleared up quite easily. If Gary has been appointed to the Task Force, it was a wise choice.

Supervisor Foy will be voting on Waste's expansion application. He has unlimited taxpayer resources and staff to provide him with a review of that application. To mix the Supervisor with Barbra's local Task Force makes no sense.

"WMI has been a pretty good neighbor..." "I'm not opposed to the expansion..." "The expansion can be a win-win for everyone..." (all para) THAT'S the sound of someone who's anti-WMI? Get real BK! QAnd try doing the math, based on Smith's own posts: 100,000,000 tons of waste equals 19 miles of garbage trucks every day. I didn't give the figures...WMI did!

"along with the height and size of the landfill, consider that 3200 trash trucks lined end-to-end take up about 19 miles of freeway space. Add to that the trucks and vehicles hauling recyclables and other tonnage and that line could grow to about 25 miles in length. How will they possible manage to get on and off the 118 frwy each and every day? The volume of exhaust pollutants and the waste of fuel alone should make people cringe."
- Posted by: gs at April 28, 2007 07:37 AM

"100,000,000 tons of trash divided by 30 years divided by 8 tons per vehicle times 30 feet of freeway space per vehicle equals about 19 miles of trucks per day of operation. Add to that all the trucks bringing and taking taking recyclables away and you've got a really long line of vehicles trying to exit and enter the 118 Frwy."
- Posted by: gs at April 28, 2007 11:58 AM

"I believe I'm the one that broke the potential hauling down to the image of a 19 mile long line of trucks. Figure it out for yourself: WMI is asking to dump 100,000,000 tons of waste within a 30 year (or less) period. WMI says each truck hauls about 8 tons daily. If delivery occurs 5 days a week that means it will take 1667 trucks each day to haul waste into the landfill and then 1667 truck each day exiting the landfill. That's over 3200 trips on or off the 118 Frwy each and every day. If each truck uses 30 feet of space the length of 3200 trucks lined up end to end is 19 miles or more."
Posted by: gs at April 29, 2007 10:06 AM

The above are quotes from Gary Selvaggio showing that he was the original source for the claim of a 19 mile long line of garbage trucks. But I've already proven that this is a false claim that is not supported by any of the facts. His own numbers prove that his claims are false. Take his estimate of 1,667 trucks per day carrying 8 tons each that would be the equivalent of 13,336 tpd. The total proposed MAXIMUM daily limit proposed by WMI is 9,250 tpd, 44% lower than the number Gary is using to calculate his 19 mile long line of trucks. Gary also does not provide any information to supporting his claim of truck capacity, which I believe also skews his calculations. Gary is simply inventing numbers to scare the public in order to advance his political agenda. He has no credibility and should not be on this task force.

Yet incredibly even when I easily refute his claim of a 19-mile long truck convoy he doesn't directly respond to the facts but still persists in repeating the same claim over and over, as if repeating it makes it a fact. Barbra, get this guy off your team!

Gary also stated "Add to that the trucks and vehicles hauling recyclables and other tonnage and that line could grow to about 25 miles in length.".

That is also untrue. The 9,250 tpd maximum includes recyclables and other tonnage. Again, Gary is using an alarmist strategy to scare the community. His 19 mile long convoy of trucks is a total fantacy, but he even goes further and threatens that it could be 25 miles long when including recycled waste. The total tonnage limit includes all sources of waste, so Gary is misleading the public when he claims that that is additional waste. He has a clear agenda and cannot be objective. We don't need community activists like that involved in such an important discussion. This community needs objective, honest people to serve and Gary clearly isn't qualified on both counts.

Bubba Kidd,
Only the people making money or recieving political favors want the landfill. The people that aren't making money on it but live next to it don't want it. Then there is you....

Come one Bubba, your math is a bit rusty. GS isn't that far off. Here is Luca's version of the count: 9,250 tpd / 8 tons per truck = 1,156 truck in and 1,156 trucks out per day. Each truck is approx. 35' long so the stack of trucks in is 1,156 x 35' = 40,460'. Trucks don't stack vertically, they move horizontally. At 50 mph the distance between each truck is approx. 50', therefore the length of the stack in is 40,460' + (50' x 1,156) = 98,260'.
In miles, Bubba, that is 18.6 miles. Now Bubba, don't forget that is a stack going into the landfill 18.6 miles long and one leaving the landfill 18.6 miles long. That makes it 37.2 miles long each 24 hour period. So you see, Bubba, GS isn't that far off. But he is conservative in his calculation.

Bubba Bubba Bubba...
Please come join us in our discussions once we begin our meetings. There is enough conversation for everyone...Gary brings a point of view that I am sure some will agree with and some that won't. You know first hand that Gary and I don't agree on the Gorian project in the Knolls...but I still want to hear what he has to say about the dump expansion...
I have a scheduled private meeting with Supervisor Foy next week. Althought he will be one of the final voices on the expansion, it is my intention to keep him in the loop, as well as the Simi Valley City Council. Surely his daughter, whom I have met,is welcome to attend the meetings and participate. She doesn't need a personal invitation, the door is open to everyone.

The math is simple. Gary claims a 19 mile long convoy of trucks based on 1,667 trucks carrying 8 tons each. That equals 13,336 tons per day. He also claims that including recycled and other waste would increase the convoy to 25 miles long. Multiplying that out you get (25/19) X 13,336 tpd, which equals 17,547 tons per day.

But Gary knows perfectly well that the proposal from Waste Management is for a maximum of 9,250 tpd. So he is overstating the tonnage by almost double in order to employ scare tactics. In fact, the proposal from WMI does not increase the overall tpd limit above the current limit, it simply changes the ratio of different waste that can be received. So this whole issue of massive garbage truck convoys is a false issue.

But all that aside, the problem I have is that I can easily prove that Gary's statements are untrue. Yet in spite of this he refuses to back away from his obviously false claims. That has been the case with him on other issues as well. He will continue to make the same statements over and over regardless of the evidence. That is not the kind of guy that should be at the table on important issues.

I don't mind having somebody involved who has a different perspective, so long as that person is willing to look at the facts and be honest in their assessment; someone who is willing to have an open mind and admit when they are wrong. I don't want someone there with an agenda who has already made up their mind on the issue regardless of the facts, and is willing to distort the truth in order to advance their cause. The purpose of this task force should be to objectively evaluate the pros and cons of this proposal and share those facts with the community, not to try and manipulate the public and scare them toward a predetermined course of action.

I haven't made up my mind on whether or not I support the expansion. All I want are the facts, and I want them from people I can trust to give me objective information. That is why I think the selection of individuals for this task force is important because it impacts the credibility of the conclusions.

Dang it Brian stop posting these facts because you are only confusing Bubba Kidd more than he is already confused!

Barbra, will you post "facts" as they become available? I'm so confused on what is true and what is hyperbole with the WM expansion. And then maybe compile a report?

I think if you are willing to put your name to it, I can accept the committee results regardless of who makes up the committee. I think Gary will have valuable information and will have the committee look under rocks that need to be examined. I'm sure the rest of your committee will also have valuable contributions.

I support getting one of Foy's staff people on the committee. I don't know if his daughter is the right person to represent him. I don't follow the logic of having the Republican Central Committee represented unless you have a member of the Democrat Central Committe serving in the same capacity.

The Waste Management issue is not a partisan issue and any effort to paint it as such belittles the import of it on the community. Throwing gernades at your efforts to educate the community is also counterproductive. My hope is that the entire Simi City Council gets engaged and takes a leadership position now versus later or even never.

I didn't attend the Foy/Dantona debate but I heard that Waste Management was there early on, a question was asked of one of the candidates, the answer was recorded and then WM left. If it is an issue for the BOS race, then one of his staff members should definitely be on the committee.

WMI's projection of hauling 100,000,000 tons of waste over the next 30 years does NOT square with their projection of 9,250 tons per day. Which figure is correct? Why the discrepency? This sort of discrepency is WHY some of us have been questioning WMI's plans while others have been trying to stifle those queries.

Let the questions begin.

Go get 'em Tiger, gs. You're da man. Waste told Supervisor Foy, according to Foy, that it didn't have any expansion plans. Nevertheless, the dates on the environmental documents made a part of the application to the County are two years old. I'd say Waste didn't tell the truth.

Sorry Katie, the decision on who's on the committee is final. If someone from the Central Committee be it Republican or Democrat wanted to be considered for the committee, they should have submitted an application, that didn't happen, so its to late to make changes now. Gary is only one member of the committee. Let's not get side tracked. It doesn't matter who is choosen to be a member, someone will find fault with the decision.

Look, all this committee is going to do is ask questions, and discuss the expansion application. A report will be made back to the City of Simi Valley and the County Board of Supervisors.

Barbara,
I was glad to see that GS is on this committee to oversee WM because he is someone I trust to tell the truth. I would love to know where Brian is getting his inside WM documents from. Go Brian!

I understand about no changes to the committee. Everyone has had plenty of time to get involved.

Getting back to my original comment to that post, is there some way you can present the results of your finding(s) as you go along?

Perhaps the committee's first order of business would be to decide the protocols it will operate under and that would include when and how to distribute information.

I fully expect the committee to be digital democracy compliant. I will get documents to post, official meeting dates, and hopefully video clips of things like field trips.

I will be posting them for all to see. I am not an expert on landfills but I will learn like the rest of my readers.

I will do the same for any communications WM wants to send my way.

I will also continue to post documents for the next few months at least. To my sources, keep them coming in. If you need to know how to send me some information you can either e-mail me or you can make contact through one of the many posters on this blog. Your identity is not needed.

I can't promise that I will keep everyone up to date on the hearings, but I am really hoping I can get someone to youtube it...

If anyone needs tech help for this project or other political projects let me know. I can help by phone or in person at times. Youtube is really easy to use.

I am facinated by this dialogue. Sometimes we deep think things too much. Let's be honest with each other and get rid of the lapidary language that is at best, euphamistic. Look at yourself in the mirror and ask the question, which even pea brained birds don't have to ask. "Do we fowl [euphamisim] ive in?" The certain answer is, "of course not." If one wants to defend scatological politics, then this is the cesh pool that your leaders are asking you to live. Do NOT over think this. Break it down to what this is really all about. Money. Why does Oxnard pay $22.00 per ton.
Why does Simi Valley pay $45.00 per ton. Why is waste from Irag being shipped into Port Hueneme? Cash, Brothers! Cash! This is a untilitarian comcept of the greatest happinest of the greatest number, which should be the guididing principle. Barb Williamson, if you are out there...stop the smelling smite for the good of reason, stop this for the good of your town. Don't allow it, dear elected official. Barb, I know you don't cotton to party politics...you always vote on issues with a reasonable brain, with a heart that is unbroken by a bunch of stone cutters.
Barb, for Christ's-sake stop this madness, I implore you.

City Council Memvere Williamson, I just can't wait for an 18 story pile of foulness and sour stench to expand across the horizon....sounds good don't it?

Fingal Lepal

Waste from Iraq? I heard that it can't go to the dump in Santa Paula because the County agreed to restrict that dump to garbage from Santa Paula and Filmore, while Simi's dump has no restrictions. And all the garbage from Los Angeles, now that doesn't set well. How come our City Manager tells the City Councilmembers that Simi residents get the best garbage rates because we house the dump, when in fact Oxnard residents pay 1/2 that of Simi residents?

Can someone post the fees for VC and other area cities?

This isn't funny anymore.
Trash from Iraq? Please say your kidding... What kind of a scumbag Bush Administration Eron scheme is this?

Don't you see Simi Valley is the last pocket of ignorance in the Republican universe? Your such pawns it's pathetic. Please don't let them turn the city over to the Arab Emrites. You know that's next. Make a master plan for once. What's wrong with you people!

Damn I feel sorry for you.

DOJ...you're so upset with what is happening, I can only hope that you will be part of the solution instead of the problem...quit complaining and DO SOMETHING.....

Any "trash" from Iraq is going to be highly radioactive. All the bullets and missles are not green products you know. How much of it is human waste?
Doesn't the Simi Valley dump have rules in regards to the material they can accept? Who is going to inspect this material before in goes in? A Bush appointee? Can we take core samples of what's at the landfill now so we know who to sue the crap out of if things go wrong?

Barbra all this stuff needs to go to Bush's ranch in Crawford. Someday he could use it for his library. He could make a giant statue and call it "Legacy".

What if the Bush Administration wants to use Simi Valley as a place to dump bodies? That can't be good Karma.

The Iraq garbage is coming by ship to Port Hueneme for disposal. Although the Simi Valley dump isn't the closest dump to Port Hueneme, it is the closest dump that does not have restrictions on it. Therefore, it takes the waste for disposal. So not only is Simi Valley the dump for Los Angeles and beyond, its garbage comes all the way from the Middle East. Wow!

Councilmember Williamson's Task Force meetings must be open to the public and televised. Unless the public gets all the facts, Waste Management will sail through the County planning process. With Barbra's guidance, though, this proposed mega dump may have to look for another home.

This is really happening?!!! Trash from Iraq?!!! Why can't they take it to Texas?!!! Let Bush hide the bodies in Texas!!!

This isn't sailing anywhere. I don't care if it's Idaho.

How much is Tony Blair taking? This really pisses me off!!! Brian is this a joke I never heard this anywhere else?!!!

TOTALLY UNKOSHER EVEN FOR SIMI VALLEY!!!!

Bush if your reading this please take the bodies of your victims to Nigeria. Save yourself alot of problems. Have some common decency. We have given up on you having common sense.

Barbra W.,
I will mow your lawn, wash your car, clean your house, you name it.
Look up stuff on the internet I don't care what it is I will do it.
Please make them stop.... Seriously. You name it.

One of the scary rumors that floated around just before the last election was that the WMI expansion would include a permit to take in and dispose of depleted uranium munitions and contaminated materials from Iraq, Afghanistan and Serbia. This is a question that needs to be addressed right away because the toxins and radioctivity from DU shells and materials is very heavy and migrates through the soil...regardless of what we do to prevent that migration.

For those who are about to say DU isn't radioactive anymore....BULL! It isn't as radioactive as a stick of reactor-grade stuff but if you breath in the dust you will eventually die. And the problem with DU shells is they create A LOT of DU dust when used.

Look, the last thing we want are rumors....I don't know if stuff is coming to our landfill via Iraq or not....however I would think it would be easy to find out. Someone at Port Huemene or any port in Ventura county has to have some type of record showing it is being transported here. And we will in the end, get our answers. No one wants radioactive ANYTHING coming to our landfill, so we just need to plug ahead and get the answers...but please, no rumors, ok?

Come on GS, uranium munitions will not hurt too much and will serve as a tremendous energy saving vehicle to get us off Middle Eastern oil. Anything that we can do to conserve electricity should be done. Spent uranium munitions in the local lanndfill we create a blue glow in the evening sky and reduce the requirement for night lighting at the landfill. It is a win-win.

These aren't rumors. What kind of trash are they bringing their old Snickers wrappers?!!! Barbra... When in Rome do as the Romans. We will bail you out. Bush's level of stupid is off the chart as a National Security Threat.

It's City Council Night...does that mean I need to wear my Togo?

I think we know why it was a secret now...

Imagine the tourist industry possibilities by putting a radioactive test site and a radioactive landfill to good use: "Visit Simi Valley, Home of the Dueling Glowing Gateways to Suburbia".

I have never even heard these rumors. Does anyone have a shred of evidence about it? I have a whole stack of documents and it isn't in there. I am going to ignore it until I see at least a bit of proof.

that sounds like more gs BS. I think Bubba Kid is right about the fact that gs is just an alarmist and makes things up. Also,why is the advisory committee just the former dantona campaign team?

The only BS being thrown around here is from Waste Mgt. They have hid all the facts from Simi residents. They lied when they said they didn't take any garbage from outside Ventura County. They lied when they said they never had secret meetings with Simi's County Supervisor. They are lying when they say they are doubling the size of the landfill, they are tripling the size by using our air space.
We truly will be Mount Trashmore. The only BS is coming from Waste Mgt. I'm glad Barbra Williamson is digging into their lies.

Who cares who's on the Advisory Committee as long as the right questions are being asked. Seems to me that the current elected officials should be doing this work for the people of Simi and that it shouldn't be necessary for private citizens to go to this effort. There is something wrong with this picture.

We KNOW that waste generated in Iraq and other war zones will be shipped halfway across the world to be buried in Simi. Why? What's so important about this waste that it has to be brought here, rather than destroyed there? Combined with the secrecy, lies and disinformation and the cone of deafening silence from local elected leaders surrounding the Expansion for the past few years, is there any wonder that there'll be rumors?

Katie's absolutely right. It don't matter who asks the questions as long as they're the right questions!

Brian, which rumor do you not believe? Is it the low level radioactive waste coming to the Simi landfill or the military waste generated in Iraq being shipped to the Simi landfill from Port Hueneme? Both are well documented in public records and can be provided to you upon your request.

If someone has documents to back up this wild rumor please post them.

And now we have unsubstantiated accusations of radioactive waste being sent to our local landfill. Why am I not surprised? I don't know whether to laugh or cry that some of these alarmist reactionaries are actually on the task force. It will be very hard to take seriously the conclusions of people who are so quick to jump on the bandwagon over every little urban legend or conspiracy theory. If these folks are so quick to create rumors and myths then why would we expect them to ask intelligent questions or be honest with the community?

Who are we supposed to believe, BK? The elected officials that have kept the expansion plans quiet for years? The WMI execs who have told our new Supervisor that there were no plans to expand? Obstructionsts, like yourself, who have made it a vocation of trying to stifle each and every discussion and bury every issue that's come up on this Blog (and you've got a .000 record inre being on the losing side of every issue that's come up, so your credibilty was shot long ago).

So before you get your knickers in a twist, no one accused anybody of anything. I put forward a rumor and another backed it up by referring to documents that I hope will be forthcoming. You see, by asking questions and chasing down rumors we sometimes get to the truth of the matter...but that's not something you really want, is it?

GS,
I'm very happy you are on the oversight committee as you are a man of honor. What are things average citizens like myself can do to help you out? Please don't let WMI turn Simi into everyone else's dumping ground! Luckily you are not a man they can buy off with cash donations the way they are trying to do with others in Simi.

The Simi Valley landfill is permitted to accept low level radioactive material. This one was apparently too hot.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - INAPPROPRIATE DISPOSAL OF SOURCE

The State provided the following information via email:

"A truck carrying waste materials from Adams Steel in Anaheim set off the radiation alarm at the Simi Valley Landfill on 8/29/06. The landfill monitor reading was approximately 600K (bkg 4K). LA County (Joji Ortego) responded to the landfill on 8/30/06 and identified the nuclide as Cs-137, with radiation levels of 13 mR/hr on the side of the truck, 1.2 mR/hr at 3 feet from the side of the truck, and background in the cab of truck. Based on these radiation readings, it appears the source is located approximately 1 foot inside of the truck and is approximately 10 milliCi in activity. A DOT exemption form was completed by LA County and the truck returned to the Adams Steel yard late on 8/30/06, and parked in a remote location. LAC completed their own 5010 (082906) on the response to Simi Valley.

"RHB responded to Adams Steel on 8/31/06, and located an approximate 7 milliCi Cs-137 bare source, located approximately 3 feet from the top of the trailer load and approximately 1 foot in from the side of the trailer. The source was taken by RHB to hold until Adams Steel can arrange for disposal of the source."

California incident #083006

Well...as an average guy myself here's what you and everyone else can do. First, ask questions! Let your neighbors and friends know that there is an expansion being planned so they'll be able to ask questions. We need to spread the word that the well-being of the community is at stake. Contact your elected officials and insist that they ask questions about the expansion. We need to let them know that we're taking this issue seriously and that we intend to do what's best for our community.

Secondly, look into the issue and see if there's information that the community should know about. You can do this online, by reading about landfills and waste disposal or simply by talking up the issue with people and listening to their take on the matter.

Thirdly, the "Williamson Committee" should be up and running soon and when it is, get involved. There'll be plenty of work to do and I'm betting that there'll be sub-committees, satellite working groups and other needs to fill. Stay tuned.

14. Prohibitions:

According to its permit conditions, the Simi Valley landfill is prohibited from accepting radioactive material as defined in Chapter 6.1, Division 20 of the Health & Safety Code.

The permittee is prohibited from accepting the following wastes:

a. Hazardous, radioactive, (as defined in Chapter 6.1, Division 20 of the Health and Safety Code), liquid, designated, or other wastes requiring special treatment or handling, except as identified in the Joint Technical Document and approved amendments thereto and as approved by the enforcement agency and other federal, state, and local agencies.

The Bradley landfill took in low level radioactive waste from Rocketdyne for almost two decades under permits from the DOE and the DOD, despite that landfill's prohibition on accepting radioactive waste. The reason seems to be that the DOE was able to certify that the radiation levels of that waste were low enough to not be considered a danger. Since 2005 DU material is routinely certified in this manner, as low level radioactive waste, and buried in selected landfills.

I wonder why they were afraid to tell us up front? Hmmmmm... Does this sound like something good for us? No... I can't think of anything else but power and money... I wonder...

I wonder how long we will be finding these Republican land mines?

Power & Money, yes. Republicans, no. WMI's done business with Repubs and Dems in equal measure and most of them look out for their constituents' interests. The ones that are in it for Power & Money have no allegiance to any party.

The only thing Democrats have to do with these Republican problems is they have to live with them.

Until I see a document of proof of depleted uranium I am going to assume it is a wild rumor.

And for those that mentioned the rumor, what's your source? Can you name it?

Heavy metals, as defined by Title 22 for disposal purposes, are not permitted to be dumped in the Simi Valley landfill.

Only one landfill, the Simi Valley Landfill, is active in the
watershed. Simi Valley Landfill began operating in 1970.
Hazardous wastes were accepted until 1983; since that time, only
Class III wastes (municipal solid waste) have been discharged at
this landfill. Since operations at the landfill predate current
regulations for siting waste management units, only a portion of
the Simi Valley Landfill is lined in accordance with current
regulations. Leaks from unlined portions of the landfill have
contaminated ground water in an underlying sandstone aquifer;
corrective actions are underway by the operator under the direction
of the RWQCB.

25 millirems of radioactivity is the maximum level of radiation that is permitted at the Simi Valley landfill. A dose of 25 millirems is about the same as 300 x-rays.

Luca,
Is the 23 millirems of radioactivity for the life of the landfill? And did the RWQCH fine Waste for the ground water contamination?

The burden of proof is on gs and his conspiracy theorist friends, who seem to do little else other than to concoct rumors and spread lies with the sole purpose of scaring the community. Having someone like gs on the citizen task force is a bad joke, and this latest example of him directing another rumor and misinformation campaign only serves to prove my point. Based on his repeated false and inflammatory statements on this issue gs has no credibility and puts the credibility of the entire task force in peril.

Our community deserves to know the facts so we can make an informed decision on this important issue. We need to know the facts, not rumors and misinformation.

WMI has given to both Democrats and Republicans but not as you say equally. It is primarily a Republican cash machine. Before you connect WMI and DU to Democrats check the numbers.

GS, are there any circumstances under which you would approve of an expansion? It seems as though you treat the very idea of an expansion to be fundamentally detrimental to Simi Valley, and you're only out to show exactly how bad.

Owen, I've said many times that I'm not opposed to some form and some degree of expansion. I just don't believe the community should be forced to take on a unfair burden in exchange for the expansion. Its got to make sense for the people of Simi Valley and surrounding communities.

GS, check your facts....In this area, you're right. Nationwide, I think WMI's relations with both parties are pretty much balanced or their work would be confined to red states only. That's simply not the case.

Barbra, the 25 millirems is a limit of radioactivity to any material that is trucked in at any one time. I have not found a record of a fine being levied for the violation.

DU gives off about 250 millirems, so that would seem to put an end to the rumor of any plans to dispose of DU materials at the landfill. Happy, BK. We asked questions, discussed possibilities and came to a conclusion that even YOU should be able to live with. But then, that's what we said we'd do: discuss the matter until we get answers, as opposed to keeping quiet about the matter until it's too late.

GS, WMI gives way more to Republicans. Why? Because Republicans don't get repulsed at the idea of opening a dump to take outside trash.

Seriously, before you keep saying they must give equally check your facts.

http://opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?key=jjpbp&txtName=waste%20management&txtState=(all%20states)&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

2/3rds from one PAC to Republicans

http://opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strid=C00119008&cycle=2004

They donated to Bush but not Kerry in 2004 and not Gore in 2000.

I would be interested to see who their execs give to especially locally.

Someone should look up their local employees and who they give money to on the local scene.

Sorry, I'm only referring to local and regional elected officials, not national politicos. On the local level I'm sure WMI gives a larger percentage to GOP officials but I can't believe the difference is so great as to make it a partisan issue.

GS and Luca keep digging for the truth! With a guy like Bubba Kidd you will never be able to give him enough facts because he is obviously on the WMI payroll. At least Owen gives an argument and does not call names, unlike Bubba Kidd. I'm sure Bubba was also saying how Woodward and Bernstein were lying, even after the copter left the Whitehouse with Nixon giving the peace sign. Also, Luca I was reading in the paper this morning how Gonzalez rushed to Ashcroft as he lay half concious in a hospital bed and strong armed him into signing off on warrantless searches, reminded me of the hospital scene in Godfather 1.

Bubbo Kid, I don't understand the reference to the hospital scene. Is this a reference to the baker coming for a visit with flowers, or the cops arriving and the black eye? I'm just a small town boy and don't understand these organized crime stories. Waste has far more experience in dealing with organized crime than any of us out here. As you may be aware, Waste filed a lawsuit against the County of San Diego after the District Attorney's report referred to Waste Management as Organized Crime. Waste's suit for libel was lost and lost again on appeal. The Organized Crime label was permitted to stand as factual.

Luca,
In the story, the wife of Ashcroft called his aide because she heard Gonzalez and one of his goons were on the way to hospital to force the ailing Ashcroft to sign the warrantless search document. The aide then rush to the hospital to beat Gonzalez and his goon there to protect Ashcroft. Kind of like Michael protecting his father from being whacked by Solotzo's guys. If you watch Soprano's most of their income comes from waste, on the show last week they were illegally dumping asbetos into a wetland.

Got it. Very helpful information.

My sincere apology, Bubbo Kid, for accidently putting your name on the above post. It was from me, Lucca.

Bubba and I only want to make sure that the conclusions aren't set before the investigation begins. We have no problem with an enquiry, we just want to make sure that the information is presented fairly. As was pointed out, there has been no evidence that waste from Iraq will be coming into Simi, yet some on here are already taking it as unassailable truth.

Luca, I'm interested, how do you accidentally put someone else's name on your post?

I seem to remember that shortly after 9/11 the mob sent in trucks to haul away the steel from the Trade Towers, that they then sold for scrap metal and made a lot of money before they figured out what was happening. I think it was Spitzer who caught them, as Rudy was clueless. Owen, how do you speak with Bubba Kidd when he uses a fake name? You two been doing happy hour at Elmers?

Hey Luca,
I just read that Wolfowitz is about to resign in disgrace from the World Bank. Also the big oil companies are under fire for being a monopoly that faces little competition and therefore can rip us all off at the pump. Chevron alone has given Arnold $650,000 and whenever they call he has to go running to them. Of course if the average citizen tried to see Arnold they would drag him behind the smoking tent and work him over, unless of course he happened to be carrying a big campaign contribution check!

Owen, the mistake is simple, just hard to reproduce. You are sending a note to Bubbo and see "name" so you type in Bubbo and click on "post". No one said it was justified, just a mistake and a quick apology.

With respect to Iraq waste coming to Simi, don't give up yet. It's a sure bet. Waste's manifests and the navy manifests match up loads that are the result of transported Iraq military waste delivered to Port Hueneme. Its a small part of the waste, but nevertheless an interesting part of landfill operations.

Documents will be forthcoming. Care to make a wager?

Bubbo, good 'ol Wolfowitz is just one more of the far right who lets his little head think for the big one at the expense of the taxpayers. He had all the education and smarts, but always believed he was above it all. After not telling the truth, taking advantage of a not too smart President and being responsible for the disasters in Iraq, his weak character will bring him down today and he will pay the price.

WM CORP. OFFICE IS IN TEXAS!! TERROR THREAT ELEVATED.
If one tin can comes from Iraq to the Simi Valley landfill I will be waiting in the parking lot for the CEO the next day. Do you remember Texas Enron crimes. Remember how they laughed when the old ladies from California froze? Texas is a threat to California not being addressed. Someone needs to step in.
Texas has thrown it's last cow chip at California. I think California can take Texas. Keep it up see what happens.

Of course if you think about it, it does make sense that Iraq is sending us their garbage, because what have we sent them? We sent them billions of our tax dollars that then disappeared, we sent them the cream of our youth that they killed or maimed, and we sent them our world respect which is now gone. It makes sense that the best deal Bush could get in return is garbage!

Is it wierd to have a poster of Laura Winchester above your bed?

You know as long as it is tasteful...

Bubbo Kid, you are sharp and funny. I hope you will be helping Barbra with her Task Force. Keep up the good work.

Luca, I was just wondering how it happened, that's all. The only person from this site that I've actually met is Brian. I was simply summarizing BK's opinion from his posts.

Earlier City Council Member Becerra was upset he w