Initiative
The Watsonville Committee Against Toxics was formed in response to the public outcry regarding the city and county allowing a developer to:
Remove the Soil
The 2018 approved Remedial Action Plan (RAP) to remove the top two feet of soil on 13 acres which contains the toxics that were identified by Weber, Hayes & Associates tests. The developer requested a change in the 2021 Updated RAP to save money by changing the scope of the remediation plan by 13 acres to 11.3 acres. In 2022 the Renewed RAP called for off haul of 17,000 cubic yard of contaminated soil and burial of 18,000 cubic yard on sites. Saving the developer money puts the people and slough at risk.
Bury the Toxins
Bury the toxins on site in a pit adjacent to residential homes and the slough on unstable land and failure of the retaining wall. The Cotton, Shires and Associates geological report shows the pit will likely fail and toxins will spill into the slough and backyards of homes.
Transfer Responsibility
Allow the developer to transfer all the responsibility for any future toxic spill or maintenance of the “cap” onto the new homeowners (page 408 of Renewed RAP 2022). 20% will be affordable housing which will put a financial burden on the families with limited income to address any future failures of the pit.
