SERVING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
OSTROM ROAD LANDFILL
SERVING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Ostrom Road Landfill
Serving Northern California
Norcal Waste Systems, Inc
Company Advertisement
*
“The Company’s intention is to increase the flow
to its owned landfills of waste it collects and
to market its landfill capacity to third-party
haulers.”
Norcal Waste Systems, Inc.
Filing to Security and Exchange
Commission 1996
These words. This map. These are taken from Norcal Wastes own written information.
The intent of this company is to “Serve Northern California”. The Ostrom Road Landfill has been and is being developed just to that purpose. The real issue here is not height. It is not Beale. The issue is intent. Norcal Waste is making the landfill and Yuba County into the repository of garbage for Northern California. The following is how this has happened.
OSTROM ROAD LANDFILL HISTORY
Norcal Removed Wheatland’s ability to veto the extension of the landfill. (Chandler Bill)
Norcal (YSDI) has the Ostrom Road Landfill accept garbage from Nevada County,
Butte County, and Colusa County.Draft Environmental Impact Report
(Placer County, Solano County, Yolo County) “these haulers may be interested in disposing their wastes at the Ostrom Road Landfill if cost savings are great enough”
DEIR (Draft Environmental Impact Report)
Norcal: “the Company recently began operations at a new landfill in Yuba County...
The Company’s intention is to increase the flow to its owned landfills of waste it collects and to market its landfill capacity to third-party haulers.” SEC filing 1996
Norcal: plans to “realize higher margins by providing waste stream to the landfills it owns” and realizing higher profits by reducing “disposal costs at third party landfills”
SEC filing 1996
Norcal got the name changed from Bi-County to Regional Waste Management Board.
Norcal markets the Ostrom Road Landfill:
1. Serving Northern California
2. Closed to Residential Customers
3. Ignoring Yuba and Sutter Counties on the map
HISTORICAL PRECEDENT: TULLYTOWN LANDFILL
Waste Management removed the right of Falls Township, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania residents to vote on the landfill expansion. Two
supervisors were elected on the promise that they would vote against
expanding the landfill; they both voted for it.
Tullytown Landfill
Size (acres): 273 acres
Height: 240 feet (just 61 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty)
Permitted volume: 8,333 tons per day
Comments: It used to be 120 acreas.
BUCKS County: East Coast Waste Capital
Waste imported into Bucks County, PA in 1993 (in tons); out of state-
1,000,000 tons;
out of county (from Pennsylvania) 991,293 tons.
Bucks County is one of 67 counties in Pennsylvania, but 1/4th of the
waste imported into PA is dumped in Lower Bucks County.
During multiple inspections in the past few years, the state has found
that over half of the trucks entering Tullytown landfill are carrying
waste that are not permitted to dump there.
The Falls Township Groundwater contamination site, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania, has been evaluated for public health issures at the
request of citizens in the community. Area citizens have expressed
concerns about health effects, including cancer, related to drinking
contaminated well water.
THE COMPANY: NORCAL WASTE SYSTEMS, INC.
Norcal Waste Systems, Inc. is based in San Francisco.
Revenues for 1995 increased to $271.5 million from $247.2 million for 1994 (last known reports)
Norcal Waste has a subsidiary West Coast Recycling on Pier 96 in San Francisco. This facility has access to Containerized shipping, a Burlington Northern Southern Pacific rail spur, and pier access for ocean or barge shipping.
Mayor Willie Brown of San Francisco has been the attorney for Norcal Waste.
Norcal Waste has Gale Kaufman on its Board of Directors. She directs strategies and tactics for political campaigns, such as Bill Bradley for President and against the Pacheco Bill that would have cancelled contracts of a company that is indicted for corruption and bribery.
Until the bribery scandal of San Bernadino County was picked up by the Associated Press, there had been no adverse press concerning Norcal Waste Systems in the San Francisco Examiner, the San Francisco Chronical, or the San Jose Mercury News. Why?
Norcal Waste employs Denise Delmatier, a lobbyist, who killed a bill proposed by Assemblywoman Bock to block an incinerator owned by Norcal Waste Systems.
Norcal Waste employs Susan Patane for its subsidiary Norcal/San Bernadino Inc. She represents Norcal Waste to the Regional Council of Rural Communities (RCRC).
Norcal Waste’s subsidiery Yuba Sutter Disposal, Inc. pushed through the extension of the Ostrom Road Landfill to 265 feet above ground level. The company presently owns at least 1700 acres.
Assemblyman Sam Aanestad received $500 from Norcal Waste. He denied knowing about the extension of the Ostrom Road landfill in his district.
Norcal’s own description of the Ostrom Road Landfill: “Serving Northern California”, “not open to residential customers”, map coming from direction of San Francisco Bay Area.
MEDIA AND PUBLIC MANIPULATION
Norcal Waste assured the Mayor and council of Wheatland that Ostrom Road would be a local landfill.
Norcal Waste assured the Supervisors of Yuba County that the landfill would not be expanded.
Norcal waste assured the people of the area through the Appeal-Democrat that the idea of a regional landfill was “nonsense”. 1988
Norcal waste assured the people of the area through the Appeal-Democrat that
YSDI “would try to attract new garbage from ‘local communities within reach’ and mentioned ‘maybe Sacramento’.” July 2000
11/5/88 Appeal-Democrat
“Eugene Herson, project manager for YSDI's parent company, San
Franciso-based Norcal Solid Waste Systems, Inc.
'They addressed the issue from a regional perspective. the county solid
waste management plan is written for two counties.
I think it was quite an achievement, and I'd hate to see it out the
window.' Herson said the idea of turning a Yuba County
landfill into a regional repository was 'nonsense'. The site doesn't
have that kind of capacity. Capacity is a precious thing.
It would change the environmental documents. No one has a unilateral
right to do such a thing. Politically, it's nonsense.”
July 19, 2000 Appeal-Democrat
“The fear of making (Ostrom Road) a mega landfill is not our intent,” said Robert Newburne, Northern California Division financial manager for Norcal Waste Systems Inc, YSDI’s parent company. In an interview Newburne acknowledged that Ostrom Road now accepts garbage from Nevada County, although he didn’t know the tonnage. He said YSDI would try to attract new garbage from ‘local communities within reach’ and mentioned ‘maybe Sacramento’.”
THE SAN FRANCISCO CONNECTION
1. Where will the non-recycled stuff go? Yuba County?
From San Francisco Business Times
Talk of the Town
San Francisco port throws itself onto the
scrap heap
Jim Gardner
San Francisco may be the financial capital of the West Coast and part of the world's premier technology
center, but the greatest export leaving the Port of San Francisco these days is still scrap paper.
The Bay Area exports more than $100 million worth of paper each year. An increasing share of that is
waste paper, much of which goes from the Port of San Francisco, making scrap the port's largest cargo
export. Typically, 90 percent of it is headed for Asian mills.
And while technology continues to drive the Northern California economy, port officials have high hopes
that the scrap business is where the future lies.
The port is crafting a deal with recycling company Norcal Waste Systems Inc. to use piers 94 and 96 as a
new recycled paper center.
Norcal collects more than 74,000 tons of paper per year. The deal would turn over the use of those piers
to Norcal when the current tenants move over to newly renovated facilities at Pier 80, in about six
months. Insiders say it is likely to come through in the next few weeks.
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2. How does Norcal Waste manipulate people and the media?
Described by the Los Angeles Times as "The Wizard of Spin," and dubbed “The Flack for When
You’re Under Attack,” by Forbes Magazine, Sitrick And Company chairman Michael Sitrick is
the author of a book, written with award-winning journalist (and Sitrick and Company Member of
the Firm) Allan Mayer, about the nature of effective crisis communication and strategic public
relations. Called "Spin: Turning the Power of the Press to Your Advantage," it was published by
Regnery in 1998. He is also a contributing author to the books, "Workouts & Turnarounds I & II",
published by Dow Jones/Irwin and Wiley.
Client Norcal Waste Systems, Inc.
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3. How intimate are Norcal Waste and Willie Brown?
ALICE B. TOKLAS DEMOCRATIC CLUB INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE PAC
(Largest contributors)
Willie Brown Leadership PAC – $173,000
San Franciscans for Sensible Government – $10,999
Strategic Resource Solutions – $15,000
Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club – $10,000
Residential Builders PAC – $5,000
NORCAL Waste Systems PAC – $5,000
Committee to Re-Elect Willie Brown – $4,000
Victor Makras, Inc. – $1,000
Richard Bingham (BofA) – $1,000
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Bay Area Guardian 3/17/99 "Nothing in Writing"
* Brown's fascination with avoiding paperwork extends to his political campaign. Just
recently Brown scooped up heaps of cash at a fundraiser hosted by Bay Area garbage
mogul Michael Sangiacomo, who runs Norcal Waste Systems. According to Matier
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Bay Area Guardian 11/24/99 "Better to Give than to Receive"
• Sunset Scavenger Co. has received at least 12 contracts valued at
a total of $7 million. Owner Michael J. Sangicomo, members of his
family, and employees of Sunset and three related companies –
Golden Gate Disposal, Norcal Waste, and Sanitary Fill – gave
$25,375.
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Bay Area Guardian 2/2/2000
Brown won reelection last year with an unprecedented amount of soft money –
more than $2 million. Big business poured that cash into "independent
expenditure" committees, which were freed from campaign contribution limits by a
lawsuit fought by Brown's lawyer.
The DCCC was a key part of that fundraising effort. At a single March 1999 event, it
brought in tens of thousands of dollars from a host of sources, including city
contractors such as Norcal Waste Systems. City law prohibits contractors from
contributing to a candidate's campaign if the candidate, once elected, oversees the
contract, but courts have ruled that they don't bar contributions to "independent"
groups like the DCCC.
The group "acted as a de facto candidate committee," Charlie Marsteller of
good-government group Common Cause told the Bay Guardian.
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Bay Guardian 'Soft money shuffle" 2/16/2000
The Sangiacomo family businesses, which include Sunset Scavenger Company,
provided $54,425 in soft money and another $27,875 in direct contributions to
Brown's committee. Sunset Scavenger has at least $4.7 million in city contracts.
and Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle, there were no printed invitations. Everybody
who came to drink wine and write checks was invited by phone.
SUMMARY
The issue is not height.
The issue is not Beale.
THE ISSUE IS THAT YUBA COUNTY IS BECOMING THE REPOSITORY OF GARBAGE FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
YUBA COUNTY IS INDEED “SERVING NORTHERN CALIFORNIA”
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