The OC Transportation Corridor Authority (TCA) is applying for a waste
discharge permit for the first segment of the Foothill South Tollroad that
it is calling the Tesoro Extension. It is believed that the San Diego Water
Board staff is planning on recommending the approval of this permit at the
June 19 Board of Directors meeting in San Diego. 

We urgently need volunteers to turn out to this meeting to persuade the
Directors to not accept the recommendation of its staff and reject the
application.  This hearing is a follow up to the March 13 meeting where TCA
had local city politicians, given their right to speak first, filibuster
away the public's time. This resulted in none of the opposition having a
chance to speak. 

This time the public will get a chance to speak, and officially at least,
those who spoke at the first meeting will be barred from speaking again. The
hearing on the Extension will not start before 1PM however we recommend you
get there earlier in order to get a seat and sign up to speak. At the first
meeting proponents of the toll road filled the seats and aisles early
leaving many of us out in the cold. 

  The hearing will be at the Water Board Chambers at Suite 100, 9174 Sky
Park Court in San Diego between I-805 and I-15. We are working with many
other local environmental groups including the Sierra Club's San Diego
Chapter to get a good turnout even if you don't wish to speak. The
Surfrider's are spearheading the effort and will have a booth in the Board's
parking lot to which you should head on arrival to get materials and other
information.

Talking points are restricted to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
segmentation and hydrology issues that were not addressed at the March 9
hearing. This would mean arguing that the Tesoro Extension is a nothing but
a segment of the Foothill South Tollroad. Segmentation is illegal under
CEQA. The hydrology issue is that TCA should do the hydrology studies as
required by the Orange County Water Quality Management Plan MS4 before the
permit is issued. TCA claims to be exempt from MS4 and doesn't plan to do
any further hydrology studies until after the permit is issued. MS4 was
implemented in 2011 and designed to protect against downstream erosion from
post construction urban runoff.  

Parking at the Chamber offices is limited and we are arranging for a bus as
well as encouraging carpooling. You will be alerted as to free park and ride
locations where you can meet up. One obvious location is on the east side of
the I-5 at the Junipero Serra exit in San Juan Capistrano.  This could mean
first come first served if the bus(es) fills up.. Please contact Bill Holmes
at [log in to unmask] if you are interested in going by bus or car for
times and location.

If the Board turns down the request for a waste discharge permit this could
be a death knell for the toll road.

Hope to see you there.

Bill Holmes, Chair Friends of the Foothills Taskforce 

 

 


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