We keep hearing it referred to as the “last hurdle” and we’re saddened that Poseidon Resources has made it this far, but the California Coastal Commission finally granted a permit that will allow the company to build the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere in our lagoon, according to a Michael Burge story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
With the Coastal Commission permit in hand, Poseidon has met all its regulatory requirements — two years after the Coastal Commission conditionally approved the plant. Poseidon had to satisfy 17 permit requirements before it could begin construction. . . . Peter MacLaggan, Poseidon Resources’ senior vice president, said the coastal permit requires that construction begin in less than two weeks. He said the company next week will start clearing the site, on the grounds of the Encina Power Station on the south shore of Agua Hedionda Lagoon.
Now all Poseidon needs is the money to build the plant. They’ need $530 million in financing, $50 million of it from a bond they’re asking the State of California for, according to a story in the North County Times.
State revenue bonds are tax-exempt, which typically allows them to sell for a lower interest rate than for taxable bonds. This lowers the cost for those repaying the bonds; in this case, the local water agencies the desalination plant will serve.
The company is also asking for a $250 per acre foot subsidy from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (which, according to Food & Water Watch could add up to $14 million a year). Nothing like launching a private business on federal and state subsidies, huh?
For more on some of the reason this plant might not be a good idea, click here for the word from Food & Water Watch.
The Carlsbad City Council last night put its foot down on NRG by passing a moratorium on coastal power plants, according to a City press release.
This action prohibits a second power plant proposed by NRG, requiring the state to overrule the city if the plant is to be approved. . . . The resolution establishes an emergency ordinance on the building or expanding of power plants on Carlsbad’s coast, meaning it goes into effect immediately and could last for up to two years. . . Also under the resolution, no development application will be accepted, processed or approved that would expand the size, location, generating capacity or use of the Encina Power Station for the duration of the moratorium.
This may be one of the few times we say this to the City Council, but way to go. Seriously. For more details, follow the jump [click to continue…]
The City of Carlsbadistan is offering a free pick-up of large trash items that are too large for normal trash pick-up; i.e. AC units, large appliances, water heaters, toilets, Mattresses, doors, furniture, and other large stuff that people illegally throw into commercial dumpsters under the cover of darkness (computers and television are not eligable).
For a list of items that qualify for the program and what is not allowed, visit the city’s Web site, www.carlsbadca.gov, under Environmental Programs.
Those interested in taking advantage of this free removals service must make a reservation between October 20-27, 2009 by calling Waste Management at 760-929-9400. The items will be picked up on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Follow the jump for more info. [click to continue…]
This Tuesday, October 20, 2009 the Carlsbadistan City Council will be considering the passage of a moratorium on coastal power plants to prevent NRG from putting in its proposed second power plant on the Encina Power Station property, according to a release sent out by the City of Carlsbad.
If passed, this action would prohibit a second power plant proposed by NRG, requiring the state to overrule the city if the plant is to be approved. . . Also under the resolution, no development application will be accepted, processed or approved that would expand the size, location, generating capacity or use of the Encina Power Station for the duration of the moratorium. . . . The resolution under consideration would establish an emergency ordinance on the building or expanding of power plants on Carlsbad’s coast, meaning it would go into effect immediately and could last for up to two years.
Anything that slows the industrialization of the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon is fine by us, but why stop at the power plant? Why not throw in a little rider prohibiting a desalination plant as well? No harm in that really.
Carlsbadistan’sPower of Vision, “a coalition of opponents” to the proposed NRG West power plant, held another press conference yesterday to remind everyone that building another power plant in Carlsbadistan is a very bad idea. They were joined yesterday by two congressional candidates.
Francine Busby and Solana Beach Councilmember Dave Roberts, both of whom are running for Congress in the 50th District, also announced their opposition to the project at today’s event. Roberts’ opposition was previously lodged as part of the Solana Beach Council. . . Elected officials of the cities of Vista, Solana Beach and Del Mar have written letters to the City of Carlsbad citing opposition to the proposed 540-megawatt power plant due to its significant regional impacts to the environment, coastal resources and the region’s visual resources.
We know there are a lot of details involved, but we just think a beautiful coastal lagoon is a seriously silly place for another power plant (or desalination plant). So more power to the Power of Vision. Follow the jump for the full release. [click to continue…]
The magnitude-8.0 temblor struck at 10:48 a.m. California time in the ocean and triggered a tsunami that leveled at least one Samoan village. Early media reports indicated that as many as 20 people had been killed. . . The National Weather Service issued a tsunami advisory for the California coast, stretching from the Mexican border to the Oregon/Washington border. . . “Coastal residents are advised to stay out of the water, off the beach and away from harbors and marinas,” according to the NWS. ”
Guess that means we shouldn’t go down to the beach to check it out. . .
Every morning when we go outside it seems like we’re walking into one big spider web. Seems like bits of web are catching us at every turn. We’re just hoping it’s not the newest poisonous invader whose work we keep running into.
According to a story on KTLA.com the Brown Widow spider in invading SoCal.
Originally from South Africa, the brown widow spiders were first spotted in San Diego in 2004. . . Experts say they have multiplied by the thousands and have been found as far north as Carlsbad and as far south as Imperial Beach. . . The brown widow’s venom is more potent than the venom of its cousin, the black widow, and one bite can send a person to the hospital.
We think we saw one on our fence the other day. Ouch.
After the Carlsbad City Council approved changes made to the Posiedon Desal plant plans several groups are vowing to sue because the City skipped a lengthy environmental review process, according to a Michael Burge story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The council approved those as an addendum to the environmental impact report it OK’d in 2006, without reopening the time-consuming environmental review process. . . Marco Gonzalez, an attorney for the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation and Coastkeeper, told the council it should have reopened the environmental process to allow for public review. . . “I’ll simply say we’ll have to see you in court again,” Gonzalez said.
For its part Poseidon says they’ve heard these arguments before and they have been “rejected by all the other agencies and by the courts.”
The City of Carlsbad is now accepting proposals from organizations to “finance, design and manage the city’s new technology business incubator program.” The winner will get free office space and the support of the City to help grow clean, green businesses in the community.
The incubator will serve as a place for entrepreneurs to develop sustainable technologies and will provide entrepreneurs support and access to resources and information that might otherwise be inaccessible to them, such as education, contacts and capital. . . . The project is anticipated to be operational by March 2010. When complete, the technology business incubator will function as a public-private partnership in which the city provides the project facility and the contracted organization will develop the program and look for opportunities for public and private grants to provide funding.
The request for proposal is available on the city’s Web site and proposals can be submitted until Monday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m. The city will award the contract in December.
Carlsbadistan’s Great White Shark attack survivor Bethany Edmund dropped by the offices of Carlsbad’s Transworld Surf magazine for an interview with Editor-in-Chief Chris Cote. Hear the story again, from Bethany herself.
If you have a Carlsbad news story, press release, event, rumor, or scandal that we'd be interested in (and there are a lot of them), please click the link to send them to The Editors.
Or just search the site to see if we've mentioned it before, right here.
We keep hearing it referred to as the “last hurdle” and we’re saddened that Poseidon Resources has made it this far, but the California Coastal Commission finally granted a permit that will allow the company to build the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere in our lagoon, according to a Michael Burge story in the San Diego Union-Tribune.
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