Great turnout at GreenTown Los Altos meeting on Permanente Creek

On Wednesday, February 13, GreenTown Los Altos held a community meeting focusing on Permanente Creek. Committee for Green Foothills Legislative Advocate Alice Kaufman was among the speakers on a panel where discussion ranged from flood control projects, to the historic channel of Permanente Creek, to the impacts to water quality from Lehigh Permanente Quarry. The room was packed to standing-room-only capacity with local residents interested in learning more about the creek and concerned about environmental impacts.

Alice spoke on the latest developments with regard to regulation of Lehigh's discharges of pollutants, including selenium, into Permanente Creek. She summarized the recent SF Bay Water Quality Control Board's notice of violation and investigative order to Lehigh directing the company to perform testing in the creek, to analyze the waste piles on their property for potential contaminants, and to submit reports to the Water Board on which a pollutant discharge permit may be based. The audience had many questions, as well as suggestions for how citizens can get involved and make a difference.

For further information about these issues, contact Alice Kaufman at alice@greenfoothills.org. Committee for Green Foothills is pleased to be able to join in the community discussion!