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Plenty of ‘dirt’ questions —
answers are coming
Supervisors expected to hold hearing on stockpile
by Jerry Newton
of the Sierra Star
NORTH FORK — Fearful of the fate of water quality in nearby wells and mad that they didn’t know what was going on, several residents here vented on those responsible for a pile of “toxic soil” in their midst.
The explanation was provided as a solid, don’t-you-worry chronology of how the dirt pile evolved from worries about pollution of Bass Lake.
There were plenty of questions, some of them rather testy, during a community meeting Thursday night at North Fork Town Hall.
Few in the audience were satisfied by the explanation and many carried the debate on outside Town Hall while the original “Gary & John Show” continued inside. [Related story, Page 2.]
In hopes of calming fears, county Supervisor Gary Gilbert [District 5-Mountain Area] brought state and county representatives and the property owner to the table. “These are the persons responsible,” Mr. Gilbert told the audience. He then limited the discussion to an hour, and insisted that questions be written on cards.
(The questions that didn’t get direct attention will be answered in a written reply being prepared by the county Department of Environmental Health, to be distributed within a couple of weeks.)
FULL STORY
Oakhurst treatment plant slowly
making progress
Facility designed to serve Oakhurst’s
growing needs
by Mark S. Smith
of the Sierra Star
The status of the planned expansion of the Oakhurst wastewater treatment facilities was the main topic at Thursday’s meeting of the Oakhurst Community Advisory Council.
County Engineer Michael Kirn had the floor — and sometimes the hotseat — for well over an hour, as he described the expansion and answered questions from the council and audience.
“The existing wastewater treatment system is old, in-need of repair, and is at capacity,” Mr. Kirn explained.
The planned expansion will consist of two parts — repairs and improvements to the collection system, and the expansion and upgrade of the treatment plant, located at the end of Black Oak River Road.
It is expected that the planned improvements to the system will accommodate the growing needs of Oakhurst for the next five to seven years.
The aging wastewater collection system currently in place has many deficiencies, including cracked or deformed pipes, and pipe joints that have become offset.
The final plans for the upgrade and repair of the collection system will go before the Board of Supervisors for approval in June, with the actual construction expected to start in mid-August, said Mr. Kirn.
“There will be disruption to businesses during the construction,” he said. “However, our goal is to perform most, if not all, of the work after Labor Day — after tourist season.”
FULL STORY
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