REFERENCES BELOW

1.  Lease #1  Tribe and Appraisal
2. Lease #2  BIA withholds Appraisal from public
3.  BIA Trust Responsibility
4.  EPA Natural Resource Policy on Tribal Land
5. EPA comments on Draft EIS
6. EPA Tribal Program
7. Cortina Wintun Patwin occupation of native land
8.  Earthworks Industries (v.ewk)  description of Cortina Landfill plan -- 2004
9. Indian Health Services Report and Why have they not participated in the discussion of this plan? 
10. groundwater recharge in the Sacramento Valley Plains and Eastern Foothills
11.  What must the EIR contain for the work required by the implementation of the Cortina Landfill plan OFF SITE of the rancheria?

Thank-you for your interest in CCCSW's grass roots campaign to hold Cortina Landfill Developers to the same governmental land-use and environmental regulations which are prescribed and upheld in the Colusa County Courthouse, State Capitol in Sacramento and the US Capitol in Washington D.C. These land-use and environmental policies were put in place (and monitored closely) to ensure that  people will have safe drinking water among other necessities. Furthermore, the economic future of California is dependent on its water quality.

Cortina Tribal Landfill Developers have ignored both the County and State’s request to bring Cal/EPA on board. The BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) acting Regional Director approved the lease in January 2007.  The regional BIA office approved the Environmental Impact Statement and issued a Record of Decision (ROD) in 2000.  Shortly after these approvals in 2000, Colusa County sued the BIA and then appealed to the Department of Interior in 2003 with allegations that the EIS was insufficient and that the project does not comply with Cal/EPA regulations and enforcement. Sadly, in late 2006, the County Board of Supervisors decided to drop the lawsuit before ‘it had it’s day in court‘, citing that it (the county) had run out of money.

Now, one of the original garbage companies involved, Pacific Waste Systems (PWS) has been replaced with North Bay Garbage Company from Sonoma County. In 2005, Sonomas county closed their (1200 ton per day) garbage landfill because of water contamination due to its leaking liner. Presently, Sonoma county is exporting trash to surrounding landfills. Sonoma County residents are clearly voicing, ’Not In My Backyard’! Because the Cortina’s land is held in federal trust, it allows the tribe and non-tribal developers, like Earthwork’s and North Bay to circumvent legitimate and established local and state environmental regulations and land-use laws. The rancheria is not under jurisdiction (and taxation) of state and local governments.

‘Sovereignty’ and self-determination are ideals promoting the independence of native tribes in order to exercise freedom(s) in making their own choices in determining their future.   Sovereignty aside, the potential for irreversible and collateral damage is very real and present in the Cortina site becoming a mega-landfill which will dump thousands of tons of toxic waste a day into steep ‘highly erosive’ canyons atop earthquake faults which seasonally delivers a substantial amount of water into the Sacramento Valley flood plains below.

The Cortina Band has lived on this particular section of land since prior to California becoming a state in 1870, recorded by early pioneers. Before this, their traditional village was within 3 miles.  The Cortina have practiced their traditions and in the past, have worked alongside their ranching neighbors. As the mechanization of agriculture and reduction of small family farms have decreased so has the need for ranch hands and cowboys. This fact alone has affected the relatively high unemployment rate of not only the tribe, but the county as well. We support the efforts of the tribe and  encourage the tribe to find a economic development within the Cortina Rancheria which would fit the rural character of Colusa County.

EPA admits and Sonoma County can attest to the fact that landfill liners leak. The leachate, a toxic tea brewed within the garbage mass, can contaminate our groundwater wherever the fracturing rock beneath the soil takes it. We all know that water respects no fenced boundaries or recognizes the concept of sovereignty. Outside the rancheria, the contaminated water becomes someone else’s problem. Whose? Who is held responsible for irrevocable damage(s)?

Furthermore, CCCSW respects the Cortina’s tribal land, cultural history and their human quest for a better quality of life for their families. What we can NOT respect, is private, non-tribal landfill developers teaming up with the Cortina tribe and others to undermine the past efforts by our County and State to assure that our water is safe and keeping it that way.

CCCSW is a coalition of Sacramento Valley residents, ranchers, business people, conservationists and residents from all over California who share the common belief that because we all share the same concern and need for safe water, we should ‘all play by the same rules’ . We believe that by allowing the Cortina Landfill to proceed without full review would set a dangerous precedent, allowing private for-profit landfill developers to partner with tribes so as to ignore the community at large and skirt land-use and environmental regulations in order to increase their profit margins--at whose expense?