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Brawley Tables Vote on Sludge |
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Written by truth
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Wednesday, 06 December 2006 |
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By BRIANNA LUSK, Staff Writer Wednesday, December 6, 2006 11:30 AM PST BRAWLEY — While it will ultimately be up to county officials to permit a proposed sludge-to-energy plant northwest of Niland, the City Council here Tuesday delayed lending its support until a key piece of the puzzle is complete.
An environmental impact report will be generated as part of the permitting process, a document that will provide information as to the air and traffic impacts of the proposed plant.
The council split 3-2 to table passing a resolution opposing the importation of sludge and more specifically, the Liberty Energy plant.
Mayor Don Campbell and council members Toni Carrillo and Steve Vasquez voted to table the item until the EIR is released. John Benson and Jo Shields voted against tabling the item.
“Don’t go out and make a decision until we hear all facts from the other side,” Vasquez said.
It could be up to a year before an EIR is completed for review by the public. Residents for Health and Safety First, a group opposing the plant, requested the resolution be placed on the agenda.
A similar resolution was adopted by the Calipatria City Council last month.
But some council members said they’ve already made up their mind.
“I just don’t think you can convince me to support it,” Shields said.
Shields said she questions why Liberty Energy would select Imperial County for the project if it was ultimately going to benefit the Los Angeles area by trucking in their sludge.
She also questions why Liberty would spend money to transport the sludge to this area if the project was sound.
“If it’s that good and that clean, why spend all that fuel — it doesn’t make sense to me to do that,” Shields said.
Benson said although he has done quite a bit of study on sludge related to his farm, he supports the Liberty Energy project.
Campbell said he doesn’t fully understand Liberty Energy’s interest in the Imperial Valley for the sludge plant. He added it’s hard to support something without all the facts.
“Is it going to come down to this council? No, it’s not. But I cannot support it at this time,” Campbell said.
>>Staff Writer Brianna Lusk can be reached at
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or 337-3439.
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