San Bruno Mountain Watch
tel / fax 415.467.6631
PO Box 53, Brisbane, CA  94005
mountainwatch@earthlink.net     
 
NEWS RELEASE
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 13, 2004               
 
CONTACTS: 
Philip Batchelder & David Schooley 415.467.6631
Chris Sproul 415.533.3376
 
Mountain Watch Files Notice of Intent to Sue Colma Dump for Polluting Bay-Bound Water
 
(Link to "Letter of Intent")

COLMA, CALIFORNIA -- Alleging major violations of the Federal Clean Water Act, San Bruno Mountain Watch (Mountain Watch) has announced its intent to sue the Cypress Amloc Land Company (Amloc) whose refuse dump is located in Colma on the western slope of San Bruno Mountain.  A review of the companyπs filings with the Regional Water Quality Control Board revealed excessive discharges of a variety of contaminants through the companyπs stormwater and non-stormwater system, thus impairing Colma Creek and San Francisco Bay.
 
In addition, Amloc has violated the Clean Water Act's requirement to develop and implement an adequate Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, which minimizes pollutants through Best Available Technology. 
 
As these violations have come to light, Amloc has applied to the City of Colma for permits allowing substantial changes in their industrial activities, including changes the company has already made. The changes involve, among others, the unpermitted grinding and hauling of demolition waste and construction debris, illegal dumping on a parcel supposed to be closed, and expansion beyond the allowed limits of Amloc's 'footprint' and elevation.  Amloc also seeks to scrap a promised plan that would have provided a small park and mountain trailhead once the dump reached capacity and ceased operations.  The City has declared its intent to file a ≥Negative Declaration,≤ claiming that the proposals pose no significant environmental impact.

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Said Mountain Watchπs Lewis Buchner: ≥Amloc has been operating here since the 1950's.  They've accepted hundreds of thousands of tons of garbage and are supposed to be carefully regulated to protect water quality.  By their own numbers, though, we can see they're unable to contain the pollution that all that garbage is generating.  This has to stop.≤
 
Mountain Watch is a non-profit conservation organization that has worked for over thirty years to protect and restore San Bruno Mountain's irreplaceable resources.  As an island in a sea of urbanity, the mountain remains the last large remnant of the Franciscan bioregion and a sanctuary for numerous rare and endangered species; it is also critical open space for recreation, education, and ecological research, especially serving local communities in Brisbane, South San Francisco, Daly City, and Colma.  The mountain's broad social and ecological values face ongoing threats from housing development and industry, including the Amloc dump which illegally bulldozed 19 acres of San Bruno Mountain County Park in 1985.
 
Mountain Watch is seeking injunctive relief to halt dump-generated water pollution; if upheld in court, the group's charges may also mean substantial civil penalties. 
 
Stressed the groupπs founder, David Schooley:  ≥We're committed to protecting San Bruno Mountain and all of its resources, including the creeks that flow from it and including the people who live here and who use and appreciate the creek waters.  This lawsuit is about upholding critically important regulations so that the dump is operated in the safest way for everyone.≤
 
Please call or email Mountain Watch to receive the complete ≥Notice of Violations and Intent to File Suit Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.≤                                      
 
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