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In December, the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the Peripheral Tunnel project will be released—threatening the North State ecosystem, economy and California’s drinking water quality.
Please join us for an evening of celebration, community, art and crafts as we gather at 1819 Citrus Ave. to recap and wave goodbye to this action-packed outgoing year.
The recent holiday season is always a time for gratitude and reflection; the new year, a time for setting our goals and expectations of ourselves. In keeping with gratitude and goals, we honor our BEC Angels in January, and share our stories of goals set, and goals achieved.
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BEC Protects
The Butte Environmental Council (BEC) is a non-profit environmental organization based in Chico, California. Our mission is to preserve and conserve the Earth’s natural resources, with particular attention to environmental issues in Northern California. BEC was formed in 1975 and throughout its 37 years, BEC has had a significant voice in shaping the environment and policies of Butte County and beyond.
BEC in the News
Comments:
- By MARY WESTON-Staff Writer Posted: 11/05/2013 12:05:09 AM PST OROVILLE - A local citizens group and an environmental group started putting up dioxin billboards Friday to educate people about dioxin and the possible impacts in the Oroville area. The Oroville Dioxin Education Committee met on Friday with Julia Murphy of the Butte County Environmental Council. - joulesnewton
Tags: BEC, ODEC, community, Oroville, dioxin, education, toxicsby: joulesnewton
Comments:
- The Butte Environmental Council has launched an educational campaign in Oroville to help alert citizens to the dioxin contamination that has plagued the southern part of town for decades. Billboards demanding action and a series of public forums have been funded by grants from Ventura-based outdoor-clothing company Patagonia Inc. and the Clif Bar Family Foundation.Mark Stemen, president of BEC’s board of directors, said Clif Bar and Patagonia both have campaigns aimed at helping low-income communities deal with the toxic problems they may face.“They were very inspired by the issues and the work we’ve been doing in south Oroville,” Stemen said. - joulesnewton
Tags: dioxin, BEC, Oroville, community, Hal, Thomas, DA, Butte, Countyby: joulesnewton
Highlights and Sticky Notes:DiFalco weighs in
In last week’s column, I devoted a considerable amount of space to the plight of the huge historic valley oak treegrowing in the vacant lot at the corner of Salem and West Eighth streets. Thanks to the recent actions of the city’s Architectural Review & Historic Preservation Board, the grand, towering tree is slated to be axed to make way for a couple of duplexes. However, the Butte Environmental Council has (thankfully) filed an appeal, scheduled to be heard next month.
Robyn DiFalco, BEC’s executive director (who penned the appeal), sent me a few words by email recently, expressing her thoughts about the situation of this valley oak, as well as that of other heritage trees still standing in Chico.
“The mature street trees of Chico are one of the things I love most about this city—and I’m concerned that they’re vulnerable these days,” DiFalco said. “At present, the city has no urban forester or tree crew on staff, the Tree Committee isn’t meeting for lack of city staff, and consequently, the Urban Forest Management Plan is still just a draft.
“This is not just about one small project and a few trees—it’s partly a concern about the future of Chico’s urban forest.”Tags: BEC, chico, trees, forestby: rdifalco
BEC News Interests
Comments:
- City Council considers changes to solid-waste collection systemThis article was published on 11.07.13. - rdifalco
Highlights and Sticky Notes:The Chico City Council deliberated Tuesday (Nov. 4) on moving away from the open-market solid-waste collection system currently in place.
On Aug. 6, the council authorized City Manager Brian Nakamura to hire R3 Consulting Group, Inc. to provide an assessment of the city’s management of solid-waste collection. At Tuesday’s meeting, Richard Tagore-Erwin of R3 outlined the inefficiencies of the current system, an open-market permit system in which two permit-holders—Waste Management and Recology—compete for both residential and commercial contracts. The open-market competition allows for multiple collection trucks to pick up waste on the same street, which has raised concerns of structural damage to Chico’s roadways.
The council voted 6-1, with Councilman Randall Stone dissenting, for further evaluation of options should the city decide to adopt a franchise agreement for its solid-waste collection system.Tags: chico, trash, recyclingby: rdifalco
Comments:
- By HEATHER HACKING-Staff Writer Posted: 10/28/2013 12:01:55 AM PDT Landowners will soon be tasked with new rules for groundwater monitoring being finalized by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. The program will include new reports and monitoring managed by water quality coalitions. - joulesnewton
Tags: water, butte, grounwater, rwqcbby: joulesnewton
Highlights and Sticky Notes:CHICO -- Week after week, volunteers with a passion to preserve the beauty and environment of area greenways return to the same homeless encampments to pick up the plastic bags, empty bottles and other trash they encounter.
They've done so quietly for months, enlisting the help of a regular cadre of volunteers. From Little Chico Creek to Comanche Creek to Lindo Channel, they scour vegetation for litter.
They've now been asked to stop, at least for a little while, because of safety concerns.
For now, the city hopes to help coordinate larger-scale cleanups, including one on Oct. 25 and 26 with rangers, city crews and other law enforcement teams, Efseaff said.
"The cigarette butts alone are enough to gag a fish," Gailey said. "There's human feces and all this trash that goes downstream. It becomes huge dams of garbage."Tags: litter, park, clean-up, Bidwell Park, Lindo Channel, Chicoby: rdifalco
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