Greetings All,

It is official- to STOP the SLUDGE, vote YES on MEASURE X! The Valley will be given an opportunity to vote on this ballot initiative in Feb.

If you would like to be a campaign volunteer or would like to make a donation, please contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Thank you for your continued support!

First X-Fest. Sept 14 @ 6pm! Rally @El Centro downtown center with "ball" fountain. Free food, music, and political dialogue! Always a party with Monic and Rosie. Join Us!
<br><br>Post edited by: truth, at: 2007/09/14 02:22

As of Feb. 5, 2008:
YES Votes- 8,684 (67.88%)
NO Votes- 4,110 (32.12%)
[Provisional Ballots yet to be counted.]

The measure prohibits the importation of sludge into the county from outside counties. Therefore, the measure is not against any type of technology or company. It is against the act of importation of sludge from counties outside of Imperial. An EIR can take place for any company that proposes a sludge incineration; however, any company that will use sludge from outside of the county will be prohibited. Thus, the measure protects the Imperial Valley from becoming a disposal site for all of Southern California and beyond.

IV Resident’s have been quite engaged in the entire application process and have participated in every public hearing (from pre Notice of Preparation, Initial Study Report, etc.), and have feverishly been asking the planning department time and time again when the Draft EIR would be available for public review and comment. It was originally projected by both the planning department and company that the EIR would be ready for review in November, and then December, and now February. But why the delay? Was it a political tactic to garner opposition for Measure X? Because, it seems as though that is the main rhetoric being used to substantiate opposition to Measure X.

The Imperial Valley is eager to review the Draft EIR. The community will have 45 days to review the document and submit additional comments and or questions which were not addressed in the EIR. The questions are then replied to and noted in the final EIR. Yes, it is understood that mitigation recommendations will be made in the EIR; however, this does not guarantee an environmentally sound facility, from a public health and safety perspective, for several reasons. First, there are hundreds of toxins and heavy metals found in sludge, aka biosolids, that will go into our air because the filters are incapable of capturing them all and drain into the Salton Sea and not all of them are closely monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency. Moreover, our county Environmental Health agency is not equipped to monitor all these elements (such as radioactive elements) as well. Second, unlike most counties, this county does not necessarily have a separate branch in the planning department to check and see if these projects are in complying with mandated mitigation. The planner in charge of the project at the planning commission oversees the project for the rest of its operation on top of the workload they already have. Thus, many times there is little time to do such an important task. Also, what happens when a planner retires or leaves the county? Who, in that department, oversees the facility? Third, Environmental Protection Agency’s policies are often very political and sometimes do not mirror standards/thresholds that fully protect public health. Fourth, monetary fines given to companies not in environmental compliance do not necessarily guarantee a non-hazardous facility because companies sometimes pay the fees and keep on polluting because they considerate it the cost of doing business. Fifth, I have reviewed EIR’s in this county that state negative impacts to air and water quality, which pose a public health risk, that could not be fully mitigated. Were these facilities permitted? Yes. An EIR that reveals such things does not guarantee that a facility will not be permitted. It is suppose to serve as a guide to the policy makers, in this case the Board of Supervisors, along with community support or opposition to a project.

Ultimately, the Board of Supervisors grant permits for projects, in which they have to comply with county ordinances. They are our representatives. According to the votes in favor of Measure X, 68% of the population does not want out of county sludge to be imported in the Valley for any use. It is time for the Board of Supervisors to represent the majority of their constituents. The 8,684 people who voted in favor of Measure X are members of IV Residents for Health and Safety First. WE are IV Residents for Health and Safety First and our membership is growing by the day.

UPDATE!

Votes against sludge increase
By ERIC GALVAN Staff Writer

Tuesday, February 12, 2008 11:46 PM PST

An updated count of election results, including damaged ballots, shows more than 15,700 Imperial County residents turned out during the Feb. 5 election.

First unofficial results released showed 11,783 ballots were cast came from precinct votes.

After counting damaged ballots, results show 15,777 ballots cast.

Absentee and provisional ballots have not been counted and the listed results with damaged ballots are still unofficial.

In local ballots, Measure X is up to 68.11 percent of the vote with 10,266 “yes” votes. Measure X will stop the importation of biowastes and biosolids known as “sludge” into Imperial County.

Initial unofficial results showed Measure X receiving 8,684 votes, or 67.88 percent.