Oceano Misinformation about Seawater Intrusion

Note on concentration of chloride in the samples:

Groundwater in the well had been measured at 50 to 100 mg/L (or ppm) historically.

2/10/12 Oceano CSD letter on Seawater Intrusion, Full letter with attachments in PDF format listed the level of chloride measured at 500 and 690 mg/L (or ppm) on 9/20/99 and 10/20/99.

Seawater has a concentration of about 19,300 mg/L (or ppm) = 19.4 0/00.
http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/02ocean/swcomposition.htm

So the chloride salt was at a level equal to about 1 part seawater to 50 parts fresh water, a level low enough to have come from other sources.

2/14/12 Oceano CSD Presentation on Seawater Intrusion to Board of Supervisors

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting Video

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Felma_Hurdel on Oceano

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Snyder on Oceano Seawater

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Staff Presentation

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Board Questions

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Public Comment

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Oceano Public Comment on Seawater wmv 5mb

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Oceano Public Comment on Seawater mp4 29mb

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Staff, Paavo Ogren reply wmv 3mb

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Staff, Paavo Ogren reply mp4 20mb

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Staff, Paavo Ogren reply audio mp3 3mb

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting General Public Comment Water Master Plan, Board Direction

2/14/12 San Luis Obispo County Board Meeting documents

2/14/12 Comments to the SLO Board of Supervisors on the Water Master Plan (WMP) by John Snyder

2/14/12 Public Comments to the SLO Board of Supervisors on Oceano Seawater by John Snyder

02/13/12 Cal Coast News, Oceano seawater intrusion deemed a scam

2/10/12 Oceano CSD letter on Seawater Intrusion to Board of Supervisors

2/10/12 Oceano CSD letter on Seawater Intrusion

2/10/12 Oceano CSD letter on Seawater Intrusion, Full letter with attachments in PDF format

2/8/12 Oceano CSD Meeting

10. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS
d. Review: Draft Saltwater Intrusion Letter

2/08/12 Oceano Community Services District meeting board packet / agenda

2/08/12 Comments by John Snyder on Draft Saltwater Intrusion Letter

2/08/12 Oceano Community Services District meeting Audio

h:mm:ss	Notes on Comments made
0:12:40	Roll call
0:15:33	Public comment, John Carter, Flood gates being repaired
0:16:33	Lori Agnello, We have had a problem with someone taking pieces of asphalt and blocking the gates and so
0:16:43	people are quite frequently going through and pulling that, it's not working, but they are putting rocks between the gate, you know pulling it really hard and putting cement there
0:16:55	and so most likely they were out there to clean those out once again
0:17:27	End of public Comment
0:18:07	Reports 7A
1:05:53	Reports 7C Report of OCSD operations
1:16:11	Tom Gleasien, All right I have, ever since I got here I talked about, that we weren’t going to do business the old way anymore, there was going to be,
1:16:24	No secrete meetings, no back room deals, no private deals, we were going to base every thing on fact and we were going to allow as much sunshine in to this organization as we possibly can
1:16:41	We belong to a group called the NCMA TG, and I probably agitated there as much as I agitated other places as most of you know
1:17:01	Back in November there was the Nacimiento water project had about a $8 million surplus,
1:17:09	Every agency in the world was trying to get there hands on that money, including our group, the NCMA
1:17:21	because we want to get part of that money to basically help fund our water management plan
1:17:31	We have a facilitator called WSC and they keep track of everything, they do a lot of the hydrology and collect all the data and everything
1:17:43	They produced a letter that was supposed to be private, That was supposed to go to Paavo Ogren, basically telling them we wanted part of that money and the amount we wanted $850
1:17:58	The second or third paragraph there was a mention of the seawater intrusion we all hear about.
1:18:05	and I presented our data about how I personally feel about the seawater intrusion and how we as the Oceano board feel about the seawater intrusion.
1:18:22	and they basically said this is basically so we can get this money so we can groundwater plan so we will be able to collect even more data and be able to respond quicker
1:18:34	And so I signed that letter and I resisted signing it but I am always talking about being a team player and working together
1:18:45	I have been pushing for us not to be the rogue agency, work on team play and everything and so
1:18:55	Some how that letter got out to the public and so there's feed back saying your general Manager said this but he puts this in play in another deal and I want to clarify that to you on the board.
1:19:10	It was only supposed to go to there and it was so we could get additional funding to make the NCMA stronger and more accurate report.
1:19:27	In retrospect I probably should have stuck to my guns and said no I am not signing with this paragraph in there. but at the time it was the decision I made
1:19:40	and I am standing by it but it does not change the opinions I have it was all in the effort of being a team player
1:19:47	I probably should have brought a copy of that letter to you as well as Molly knows what goes on in that deal is attorney client confidential
1:19:58	and I am not suppose to speak on that, because if I ever do I get all these attorneys calling up and given heck to me and telling Molly to keep my mouth shut
1:20:09	But tonight I just wanted to you guys to know that, and I did do it.
1:20:15	I made a mistake I should have held fervor to my principles but in the interest in team play
1:20:21	and getting along with my Neighbors and other water contractors. I felt it was the thing to do at the time
1:20:50	It came back with an email that he basically said all the things I said before I signed it.
1:23:11	Break
1:34:36	End of break
2:00:12	9 Cash Disbursements
2:09:51	10C Arroyo Grande Water Contract
2:30:44	10D Saltwater Intrusion letter
2:48:43	Take 15min and write it
2:49:51	Break
3:12:34	Back from Break
3:13:00	Read Draft Letter
3:13:02	Please be advised that on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Oceano Community Services District, (delete later)
3:13:06	the official position of the Oceano Community Services District is that (delete later)
3:13:09	The Oceano groundwater supply is not threatened with seawater intrusion.
3:13:14	We are aware that there has been information provided to the public that Oceano's groundwater supply is threatened by seawater intrusion.
3:13:20	The Board's position is that the incident in 2009 exhibited characteristics of saltwater intrusion
3:13:25	but it has since to be repeated and it also should be noted that the well in question was in great disrepair.
3:13:32	This was corrected by the county maintenance crew and at no time since has it exhibited anymore characteristics of seawater intrusion.
3:13:39	At the time that this well was tested, there were significant external contaminants.
3:13:44	The Board at the time was directed by its contracted engineer(, the Wallace Group, added later) to take a position that the event was actually a
3:13:51	benefit because it would elevate the priority level in case of any state water contractor allocation cutbacks
3:13:57	This same engineer is on contract with several San Luis Obispo agencies to which this information has been exploited to their benefit.
3:14:05	We normally would have accepted this without comment, but the (amount of, deleted later) exploitation of this anomaly has reached critical mass and is being quoted from
3:14:14	everything from commercial development, other agencies needs and willful suspensions of the truth.
3:14:20	Sincerely
3:14:28	Comments on letter
3:15:19	It's important to put Wallace in
3:17:01	An Attachment to this too, will have a picture of the well in question and the New Well and we will all so the running data
3:17:21	General Manager,
3:17:27	We will Take 6 packets of this to the board of Supervisors
3:18:34	Public Comment
3:19:23	Motion to approve letter
3:19:51	Roll call vote, all yes
3:20:07	12 Will serve letter
3:22:02	Public comment on Closed session

2/07/12 Mike Winn's public comments at the San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors

h:mm:ss	Notes on Comments made
0:00:07	Good Morning chairman Patterson supervisors . My name is Mike Winn.
0:00:09	I do serve in Nipomo, in the Community Services District board as well as the chair of your Water Resources Advisory Committee WRAC
0:00:17	I have two issues briefly today of sort of environmental interest.
0:00:22	First, we have sent letters on fracking
0:01:06	The second thing also briefly has to do with seawater intrusion in Oceano, I will not beat this to death.
0:01:14	If it were not for the fact that there are a number of people who continue to say this did not happen.
0:01:18	As you know well, it was amply documented.
0:01:23	It was done quite independently by your own staff.
0:01:27	It went to the court in the 2009 report, on page 29 in the second bullet,
0:01:35	It's a legal document and it's real.
0:01:38	is it happing now, of course not because Oceano had supplemental water they cut back groundwater pumping
0:01:45	and as a result there has been recovery
0:01:48	and there is no seawater internal now, although it was as far as one half mile in.
0:01:54	In Nipomo as you know we are trying to do, get ourselves some more options so we can respond this same sort of threat in a timely manner.
0:02:02	Thank you

1/25/12
10. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS

b. Review: Draft Saltwater Intrusion Letter
After public comment, Board discussion, and roll call vote
Ayes: VP Lucey, Director Angello, Director Hurdle, President Guerrero, Director Searcy
Nayes: None, Absent: None
the following motion was adopted: to table the Draft Saltwater Intrusion Letter to the next Board
of Directors meeting.

1/25/12 Oceano Community Services District meeting board packet / agenda

1/25/12 Oceano Community Services District meeting item 10 b audio 39 mb

h:mm:ss	Notes on Comments made
0:00:00	Item 10 b
0:00:14	Thomas A. Geaslen, You don't have a draft and I am not going to present a draft
0:00:46	Public Comment, Jeff Edwards
0:04:19	Move to Table
0:04:37	Item 10 c

1/11/12 Oceano Community Services District meeting board packet / agenda

12/14/11
10. ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS

d. Discussion: Possible Draft Letter to Stop the Flow of Sea Water Intrusion Misinformation
IGM Geaslen represented the OCSD Water Supply Issues Northern Cities Groundwater Basin
powerpoint previously created by the WallaceGroup on October 28, 2009, Staff recommended a
letter be drafted that will cite the NCMA from the 2009 characteristic seeawater intrusion
occurrence.
After public comment, Board discussion, a motion by Director Searcy second by Director Hurdle
the following motion was adopted: to provide a letter or press release that will cite the NCMA
from the 2009 characteristic sea water intrusion occurrence and the monitoring has increased
since the one time.event had occurred
by voice vote, 4-0, with Director Angello absent.

12/14/11 Oceano Community Services District meeting board packet / agenda

12/14/11 Oceano Community Services District meeting Public record request for presentation slides and information with response

12/14/11 Oceano Community Services District meeting item 10 c audio 39 mb

h:mm:ss	Notes on Comments made
0:00:00	10 minute Break
0:00:00	10. A. Administrative items
0:00:00	10. B. Solid Waste Rate Increase
0:00:00	2. Role Call
0:00:00	2-3 min Break
0:00:00	4. Agenda Review, Accepted
0:00:00	5. Public Comment
0:00:00	6. Board Members Comments
0:00:00	7. Report of Sheriff's South Station
0:00:00	8. Approve minutes of November 9th
0:00:00	9. Cash Disbursements
0:00:00	Public comment on Director Reports
0:01:15	I didn't see it in mine
0:01:25	It's behind the letter from Ed Eby
0:02:53	Call Meeting back to order
0:02:56	10. C. Discussion: Possible Draft Letter to Stop the Flow of Sea Water Intrusion Misinformation
0:03:09	A fairly common Bantering about seawater intrusion in Oceano
0:03:15	There was a tremendous amount of hearsay
0:03:17	tremendous amount of subject of discussion
0:03:21	What really trigger this was
0:03:24	A land use that went before the planning commission in Adam Hills district
0:03:52	Our friends above the Mesa have a project and are sighting of that is that there is sea water intrusion
0:04:01	So when I got here I heard 27 different stories, as we all have as to weither we have sea water intrusion
0:04:12	We belong to a group (NCMA TG) of which I hold a seat
0:04:30	We discuss the ways we manage our water
0:04:42	In a NCMA TG report of 2009, 2010 they made a statement
0:04:44	They made a statement that there were chemical signatures in one of our sentry wells
0:04:55	That can basically be described as sea water intrusion
0:04:58	What originally happened as it has been explained to me
0:05:15	the county would test the wells and give it to Todd engineering and report back to us
0:05:20	And they would report back to us
0:05:24	The county was charted to test the wells over time
0:05:30	But for some reason it never got done on the schedule it was supposed to be done.
0:05:37	:In 2009 Todd engineering released some data that said there was a chemical that resembled seawater intrusion.
0:05:51	What I have on the screen is the Wallace report from October 28th 2009
0:06:03	At the time there was Not a lot of major concern
0:06:19	When that came to my attention and I did confirm it
0:06:26	when Todd engineering had that data it did not come to Oceano first it when to Grover AG, and Pismo .
0:06:32	As you all know Oceano gets treated as a like a second class citizen
0:06:50	At which time Wallace gave this report dated October 28th 2009
0:12:09	Oceano has production wells and Monitoring wells
0:13:07	We have 4 monitoring wells green, blue, yellow and silver, The silver well had a corruption in the casing and filled with soil
0:13:59	Furgro comes out and tests these wells every quarter
0:15:01	Down here right at the beach, we have a well, there is a kiosk there where they go down and test.
0:15:25	Graph of wells just shown
0:16:03	This well is on Pier Avenue
0:16:31	here is the well, that we did an inspection
0:16:43	Notice that the folage is all brown
0:16:46	When we have rain events that well is under water.
0:17:05	So that was the well that was in question
0:17:19	What we see here is a well that is a
0:17:37	No Cap
0:17:47	Access port that is below water
0:17:57	See all the contaminates that went down the well
0:18:09	Other wells that's not under water.
0:18:29	Wallace group gave us a brief history of seawater intrusion
0:18:40	Everybody uses this explanation
0:19:33	this is the chart that identify the well 30N02 had the high chloride that are a signature of Seawater intrusion
0:20:11	and then we go to 1995
0:20:19	from 1995 to 2009 there was no data collected
0:20:23	:And that’s when we had the high chloride concentration
0:20:27	That was below grade and the caps were off and it showed high chloride
0:21:58	When I saw this report seawater intrusion is questionable
0:22:14	Todd engineering got fired because they brought the data in so mater of fact ly
0:22:26	and GEI Became our hydrologist
0:22:29	and they started implementing
0:22:39	If you say there is no seawater intrusion, If you remembering this report you were right
0:22:48	But you are also wrong
0:23:04	Wait a minute we have an opportunely here
0:23:15	We have evidence of characteristics that could point to seawater intrusion
0:23:26	We don't want our state water to be cut back because we have evidence of seawater intrusion
0:23:42	What ever our friends and neighbors due that we don't we have an agreement with that's there problem
0:24:48	The county likes that too because when they do there gross management plan that elevates that up the deal
0:25:05	Where I have a problem because some one on the planning commission, operating on hearsay, cancels a project with out the facts
0:25:54	it's well documented that if there are cutback we still get our state water allocation
0:26:25	even though I am a rate payer in Nipomo, I quit going to there meetings
0:26:58	That being said let me tell you were we are now.
0:27:20	I can't tell you now because of client confidentiality
0:27:22	We just got a report that will be a subset of the report
0:28:00	Monitoring Quarterly and know one thought it was important to monitor on a regular basis
0:28:11	If we had another incident like that we would be monitoring day or monthly
0:28:41	As far as what our neighbors are doing we don't care
0:28:50	Open it up to Questions
0:29:07	Recommendation: make a statement
0:29:23	But it's a Oceano issue not anyone else’s
0:34:40	Now that we can look after ourselves in our monitoring and not have to rely on reports on somebody on some one that might have a vested interests
0:34:55	I agree with staff and hopefully we can prove our issue down the road.
0:36:24	Public comment
0:36:57	Bill Petrick
0:40:01	Question, What is the real project
0:40:28	Pat Eby
0:44:34	Carroll Henson
0:47:41	Ed Eby
0:51:29	Zell Mailer
0:54:55	Karen White
0:56:28	End of public comment
0:57:50	Restate Recommendation
0:58:53	The report said characteristics and the board said we had seawater intrusion based on the engineering report.
1:03:03	Everybody got surplus water off the salt water threat
1:03:56	Will have to refer to our NCMA council Molly
1:04:42	because of the Santa Maria thing we are to mind our business, and they are to mind their business
1:06:32	What was the court order
1:07:16	You gave me the assignment to pull this information to gather because you are tired of someone saying Oceano has seawater intrusion
1:07:48	It's interpreted that it's happing now and it's not
1:09:19	NCSD since they know this was an anomaly, since they know there is no seawater intrusion, that they put out a statement
1:09:58	the chairman of the WRAC Mike Winn almost opens every WRAC meeting with announcements of it.
1:13:25	The Goal is to eliminate all the hearsay
1:14:21	Motion to go with staff recommendation
1:14:37	Voice vote, all aye, no No’s
1:14:52	Item 11A will serve
1:15:40	Item 11B Will serve
1:16:40	General Public Comment
1:17:16	Jim Harrison, web site is that it's a one time event
1:17:51	You can look at it and it will tell you specify it says that it was a one time event and you no longer have that problem
1:18:45	if we got water out of the pipeline in Nipomo it would cost $48,000 per acre foot
1:19:16	Board Member, I also sit on that WRAC and have listened to Mike Winn repeatedly states and emphasizes the saltwater intrusion in Oceano.
1:20:32	Item 14

11/09/11 Oceano Community Services District meeting board packet / agenda

14. Board Member Items for the Next Board Meeting Agenda.

Sea Water Intrusion

11/09/11 Oceano Community Services District meeting audio 39 mb

h:mm:ss	Notes on Comments made
0:10:32	Director Comment
0:12:02	My only comment is that I received a call about the Planning Commission having a meeting and they were talking about seawater intrusion in an Oceano wells or Oceano well
0:12:19	and then I think it was on Monday, I tuned in to the Dave Colington show, and they had two members from NCSD that were talking about their need for water and the Oceano seawater intrusion
0:12:31	And the concern for me is that we know that is not true. We know that there is not Seawater intrusion
0:12:36	and yet they keep ringing the bell, and saying there is seawater intrusion in Oceano, it's somewhat distressing too since we sent a letter to support for NCSD to diversify their water sources under the court order
0:12:54	and part of the way they do it is by to keep putting out this misinformation or what we believe is misinformation regarding it.
0:13:03	As people know, our well has given clean tests and has not show evidence of seawater intrusion and was cleared
0:13:11	It's disturbing that this misinformation could be used again and again and again and is being put out there more then we are putting it out there.
0:13:23	and so I have had very brief discussions with Manager Geaslen about What we need to do about it if we need to put out press releases or letter to everyone evolved
0:13:33	We need to discuss as a board and to take a firm policy decision that this information is not correct
0:13:42	In fact one of there claims is we had to stop pumping in order to protect the well.
0:13:49	The reason not using is we have take or pay contracts with our other water sources. and so
0:13:55	It does not make sense for the community to pay for water out of Lopez lakes or to pay for state water and then pump water from our wells. It just would not make any sense
0:14:09	So that was not the best resources for the community and it did not have anything to do with seawater intrusion
0:14:17	I would like to bring it back on a discussion so we can take a official policy position and put something out there so we can stop this campain of misinformation
0:14:26	Can I just add to that as the Northern Cities management group goes over the contract for their new tester people, they have to pay attention to accountability
0:14:39	The firm that released this faulty information had no accountability to us.
0:14:46	and their are not doing anything to stop the miss flow of information, and so I find it really disheartening so Tom has said he is going to keep a close eye out for those kind of controls in these contracts
0:15:03	I hate to micro manage but if the company is not going to take accountability for there own stuff we have problems. I don't think they should get paid
0:15:18	What's staff think?
0:15:22	I will wait for my report.