Noise – Save Mission Trails

Ding-Dong! Quail Brush is Dead! “Undeniably and reliably dead.”

We did it! You did it! Cogentrix withdrew! All proceedings for Quail Brush Power Plant are terminated. We won!

With every letter, rally, meeting, and donation, we fought hard to protect our park, communities, health, quality of life, and the planet. Folks like you, of all political stripes, united and said NO to Quail Brush. We joined efforts with many outstanding organizations (see list of supporters) and became a formidable alliance. Our coalition said NO to an immensely expensive taxpayer-funded project for energy which the Public Utilities Commission ruled was not needed. We said NO to industrializing open space near Mission Trails Park, grading hills and destroying wildlife and tranquility. We said NO to an unhealthy polluting gas plant in a high-fire zone just a stone’s throw from schools, homes, hospitals, and neighborhood playgrounds. We said NO to more fossil fuel in Southern California. And we are saying YES to rooftop solar and community choice aggregation (CCA).

On September 12, Cogentrix requested to withdraw the application for Quail Brush. Docketed on September 15, 2014, the California Energy Commission ordered termination for all proceedings on the plant. Victory! Power to the People!

Our first mission is complete. Our second mission is to protect Mission Trails and the East Elliott open space area from future encroachment. Save Mission Trails will continue to monitor and to raise funds to make sure this never happens again. Stay with us. And THANK YOU for caring and taking the effort to keep our world clean and green.

Power Plant Application is Suspended for Second Time…and Continues to Fester

On April 24, 2014, the California Energy Commission (CEC) ordered that all proceedings on the Cogentrix application for certification (AFC) for the Quail Brush power plant bordering Mission Trails Park and Santee are on hold until April 15, 2015. While the plant cannot move forward for another year, (unless Cogentrix files a motion to revive the AFC sooner and the CEC approves this motion), no evidentiary hearings will take place this year that would have likely terminated this ill-conceived fossil fuel project once and for all.

Concerned citizens, including several elected officials, created a powerful response opposing the suspension and requesting the application be vacated, which was duly noted by the CEC. THANK YOU for your strong support. Community members like you are the David’s of this David and Goliath battle. The preservation of our beloved Mission Trails Regional Park and East Elliott Open Space area – and the health of our neighboring communities – Santee, Tierrasanta, Lakeside, El Cajon, Poway, La Mesa, San Diego – need your continued attention and diligence on the Quail Brush power plant issue.
STAY WITH US!

You can read the details of the CEC second-year suspension here. Or go to the CEC Docket Log and scroll down to TN# 202228. Letters of opposition, petitions against the gas power plant, and other important project documents are archived here as well.

Join SMT on EXPLORE MISSION TRAILS DAY in Mission Trails Regional Park
Sat, May 17, 2014, 8 AM – 3 PM
The Save Mission Trails booth will be in the East Fortuna (Equestrian) Staging Area near Mast Blvd. and Rt. 52.
Connecting Children with Nature is the theme of this year’s event. Explore Mission Trails Day activities include free guided nature walks, pony rides for kids, live animals and educational programs for all ages, food for purchase, a climbing wall, nature discovery stations, and more. Email savemissiontrails@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out on this fun day. Wear an orange shirt or hat to identify yourself as a friend of SMT.

Below are photos of the Save Mission Trails booth at EarthFair 2014 in Balboa Park.

securedownload-3 — Signing up to speak out against graded hills, fire danger, noise, visual blight, & pollution next to Mission Trails Regional Park

SMT at EarthFair 2014 — Learning about the continued threat of the 11-acre gas plant with 11 smoke stacks proposed in an open-space / residential zone

Save the Date! Next CEC Wksp is Friday, Oct.19, 1pm with 6pm public comment time at Grossmont College

You are needed–Yes, Again!!—at the California Energy Commission (CEC) Public Workshop #4 on Quail Brush. Attend and make sure our dedication and thoughtful local zoning laws are NOT bulldozed over by this state agency. The citizens of San Diego and Santee know what’s best for our communities, our park, our health, and the environment. Say NO to the not-needed fossil-fuel power plant. Keep our community green and clean!

DATE / TIME: Friday, Oct. 19, 1 pm; public comment time starting at 6 pm
(See below for free parking permit.)
TO DO: When you enter, write your note of opposition on a form to be posted in the public record.
NOTE: If you can’t come for the whole day, DO show up when you can. The public comment time is scheduled to continue until everyone who wants to speak or ask a question, does so. (Scroll down to see link below for how to participate remotely if you can’t attend.)
LOCATION: Grossmont College, 8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon, 92020, off the 125, Building 60 – Griffin Center (in front, southeast corner). For a campus map, directions, and free parking pass, click here. Parking is easy and plentiful on Fridays.

Per the CEC: The workshop is held to provide a public forum for staff, the applicant, intervenors, the public, and interested agencies to discuss issues related to the project. Technical areas to be discussed: Soil & Water Resources, Biological Resources, Fire, Noise, and Visual Resources. The public can ask questions and comment about the project and the staff’s environmental review.

Public comments and questions will be accepted at 6 p.m. Additional opportunities for public comment may be provided at other times during the workshop as the parties work through the scheduled topics. The workshop will end after the comment period.

TO PARTICIPATE FROM WORK/HOME: Arrangements have been made for people unable to attend the workshop to participate by telephone and/or by computer.
WebEx and Conference Call-in-toll-free number: 1-866-469-3239
Access code: 926819370
Meeting Password: meeting@1
For details, click here and scroll to page 4-5.

Thank you all for your persistence. We will prevail with everyone’s continued efforts.

Noise Pollution maps

There are two maps – one for the unmitigated sound levels from plant operations and another resulting from the “presumed” impact of mitigation. This latter point is important. They do not know the final design of the plant and they have made assumptions about sound transmission from the plant and the mitigation they think they can provide. In their own words, the design is “conceptual.”

The “conceptual” design and mitigation factors result in a noise map that essentially comes in just under the limits permitted. The mitigated noise map clearly indicates that this is based on “conceptualized” mitigation measures.

The unmitigated map indicates there will be 65-75 dBA (decibels) of noise and disturbance within the light mint area on the map. Imagine a constant buzz and drone. A dog barking or an alarm clock is 70 dBA.

The mitigated map indicates there will be 35-40 dBA (decibels) of noise and disturbance if you are anywhere within the light yellow area on the map.

This noise measurements are based on what the power plant will produce. It does not include freeway or ambient noise from other sources. You need to add these other noises for an accumulative effect.

Noise Pollution and health risk

Click to read about Health effects from noise
Click to read about Noise-induced endocrine effects and cardiovascular risk

Protect your neighborhood, homes and health

plant-emmissions-per-year — This summary of plant emissions equals 43% of actual emissions. Equal to 204.84 tons of pollution per year. This data was provided within their project proposal. However, it will be more than doubled if the plant runs at full capacity.

We are trying to Stop the power plant that Cogentrix Energy wants to put in the middle of our Santee neighborhood. It’s important to rally our community and show our city council that we won’t stand for this. The plant will burn toxic gas and spew pollution all over Santee.

Our home values will be lowered too.