Not a commercial film company, just a film student trying to make a difference.
This 30 minute documentary begins where Part 1 left off.
Larry Allen, Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District announces the results of the Phase 2 study of air pollution downwind of the ODSVRA to the APCD.
The study links the well established health threatening air pollution in Nipomo to offroading on the Oceano Dunes.
The City Council of Pismo Beach attempts to discredit the study, ignoring the health of residents in Nipomo in favor of alleged economic benefit to Pismo.
Kris Vardas, who is both on the Pismo Council and the APCD Board, questions the scientific validity of the study. Though he was not at the November 23rd meeting where findings were presented to public officials, he arrives at the Dec 1st Pismo Council meeting aligned with two other council members who have agreed to challenge the upcoming study at the APCD meeting the next day, Dec 2.
One of the trio, Pismo council member, Dr. Ed Waage, speaks at the APCD board, trying to discredit the study with the claim that offroading increases vegetation on the dunes. He presents a power point presentation to the APCD board and argues that there is a trend showing increased vegetation, not realizing the vegetated area had been fenced off to OHV use.
Larry Allen refutes the claim that off roading is good for vegetation, and uses the same Google maps to show the increased vegetation was in areas banned to off roading.
Dr. Waage also misinterpreted and misrepresented data from pre-phase 2 study archives, which actually confirm the alarmingly consistent violations of health standards over time. In his quest to show that there was no increase in air pollution over time, Dr. Waage failed to consider that vegetation was increasing over time in fenced off areas where off roading was banned, reducing airborne particulate matter where the broken dune crust was allowed to heal. He also failed to consider that damage to the crust in the riding area, once it has occurred, does not change over time, given the continued assault. He also failed to consider more recent data that were presented in the October 2009 public workshop "Particulate Matter and Your Health" that shows an increase in air pollution on the Nipomo Mesa.
The attack on the not-yet-released Phase 2 study is supported by the Pismo Beach mayor. The City Manager (Kevin M. Rice, not to be confused with offroader Kevin P. Rice) questions if the mayor had been informed of the information that the three wanted to use to represent the views of the city.
This video shows that the City Council of Pismo Beach believes that offroading increases vegetation on the dunes, air pollution downwind (though deadly) is not getting any worse, and offroading should continue because it is good for Pismo's economy.
Stay tuned for Part 3.
Kris Vardas in a Dec 16 interview on KCOY states that state parks should decide whether there is a health issue downwind of its ODSVRA. Discounting the Phase 2 study even before it is released, he said the OHV should use its own scientists in its forthcoming EIR to see if there really is a problem. The transfer of county owned land to OHV would increase the probability of continued off roading on the dunes which he and the Pismo Beach City Council believe benefits Pismo's economy.
