Our Story

Horses For Sale

This happened Dec. 26 2007 - It Stinks & Yolo County Enviornmental Health Will Not Investigate! We have video! 9FYI
Same situation happened in 2001, we call and then the county calls the owners. The owners do a coverup. Over 40 trees have died
where it spilled in 2001 and they are continuing to die. I have yearly photos. Click here to see trees

We called to report the dead wild cat in Dec. 07. The owners of Spreckles were notified. On the morning of Dec. 24, 2007 they did a massive cleanup. There was feathers,
dust and chunks coming out of the roof and into the air. It was a breezy day. Then they hosed it down the roads & culverts with fire hose.

7 Neighbors around the site got sick, and are still sick as of 1/9/08. We asked Yolo County Environmental Health to check teh stinky stuff coming from the pipe in the back of
the barn. They would not. The owners came in with a back hoe and busted the pipe. This stuff is all over and bubbles up out of the ground and foams. It has a blue gloss. No
one will go and test it. We called Regional Water Quality. We have video and other photos. You could smell it from the street after the line broke. Note this would have been
underground since 2001, as that was the last time the barn was used for Sugar Beets.

Think the government is here to help you? They are not!

Click to Zoom Photos

Copy of Env. Health Letter & Complaint - Click here for complaint.

Below is a copy of correspondence.

Subject: Complaint re: Old Spreckles Sugar Company
Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:30:25 -0800
From: "Moushumi Hasan" <[email protected]> View Contact Details   Add Mobile Alert
To: [email protected]
CC: "Jeff Pinnow" <[email protected]>

Ms. Cedarblade,

As I mentioned in my report dated 12/26/07, Yolo County Environmental
Health Department inspected the old Spreckles Sugar Company site twice,
first on 12/24/07 and then on 12/26/07. During our inspections, we did
not observe any condition or practice that appeared to be a public
nuisance or a potential health or safety hazard to the public or the
environment. I am attaching my report for further details of the inspections.

In the past week, Yolo County Environmental Health Department has
received at least two e-mails and at least one phone message from you, as
well as several referrals from state and local agencies, regarding the
old Spreckles Sugar facility. At this time, we do not think it is
necessary for our agency to pursue this issue any further. If you obtain new
information that we are not aware of, or if there are future incidents
that pose a health and safety hazard or nuisance, please feel free to
contact us. Please call me if you have questions.

Thank you.

<<Report_Spreckles Sugar Co_Dec26.doc>>

Moushumi Hasan
Hazardous Materials Specialist III
Yolo County Environmental Health
137 N. Cottonwood Street, Suite 2400
Woodland, CA 95695
Phone (530) 666-8646 (Main)
Fax (530) 669-1448
[email protected]
______________

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:24:18 -0800 (PST)
From: "Brenda Cedarblade" <[email protected]> View Contact Details   Add Mobile Alert
Subject: Fwd: Spreckles
To: [email protected]

Note: forwarded message attached.
Forwarded Message [ Download File ]

Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:40:31 -0800 (PST)
From: "Brenda Cedarblade" <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Spreckles
To: [email protected], [email protected]

HTML Attachment [ Scan and Save to Computer ]

Hi Wendy- Sue from the state said that Yolo County is the lead and they cannot get involved at this point. She said to ask if you can get a water
sample,   enviornmental health did not. Please see attached report & photo and response. Our county prety much did nothing and this is pretty
major. they would not even go on site to see the suff coming out of the ground in the photo. It looks like the stuff from the photos that spilled in 01. I
have these if you need them. Please advise how to proceed. I sent a copy to myself, to make sure it opens.

Thank you for your help this morning,

Brenda

Note: forwarded message attached.
Forwarded Message

Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:58:01 -0800 (PST)
From: "Brenda Cedarblade" <[email protected]>
Subject: Spreckles
To: [email protected]

HTML Attachment [ Scan and Save to Computer ]

CONFIDENTIAL

County of Yolo Health Department

Dear Ms Hasan,

Thank you for taking the time to come out to our site. This letter is in response to your report on Spreckles dated Dec. 26, 2007.

I called Monday Dec 24, 2007. They had major dust and particulates that were leaving the site and traveling off site. It was a windy day. I felt I was far
enough down the road to be away from the matter. Obviously, as I spent Christmas Dec. 24 & 25 in the emergency room very sick it was a problem.

I did not say the building was being torn down, I was concerned about an environmental cleanup being done by non professionals. I did say they had
other buildings torn down, that may not have been properly permitted and may contain asbestosis and lead etc... which may still have left
fibers/particulates on site.

I was also interested in the potential contamination as we have had problems with wildlife including protected Swainson Hawks dying around this
barn/structure area.

Major dust, chunks and debris were coming out of the roof and doors especially where there is a big gaping hole in the roof. I have this documented,
if copies are needed.

Large quantities of water were coming from the fire hydrant and running from the barn and property down and across the roads. These are still there
and formed large ponds. Please see photos. Also, has the water fro this hydrant been tested and is it OK to use for surface water?

I would assume, air quality and water standards would not allow this feces, dust, etc. to leave the site and risk the health of people and animals. If
there were animal and dead pigeons inside, this is a health risk.

They admitted to cleaning pigeon waste, this is dangerous if not done properly. The waste included dead birds and the health risks involved with
that.

Their was air blowing the particulate, aside from the water. It appeared that they were hosing down the building and another person blowing and
running a street sweeper . The fire hose I observed was not long enough to cover the barn and there was dust blowing out all parts of the barn., The
water was localized along the East wall and dust was blowing out everywhere. Water was coming out of the wall below the structure and along the
South East door.

While now this is being deemed a hay barn, it has not been heavily used since 2001. I do not know that it was tested at that time for contamination.
This massive barn was used by Holly Sugar for Beet Pulp and pellets and as I understand contained lots of chemicals.

Also, from the sheriff's report I filed, the officer had been in the barn and reported it was nasty and full of pigeon excrement etc...

Workers photographed on Dec 26 had cheap Wal Mart style masks. If there is a toxic chemical or contaminants these would not protect them.

Is pigeon feces a health hazard?

The barn is about 60-70 feet or taller. How were they washing the ceiling and why?

There were large puddles of runoff along the road on Dec., 24 and 26th. I am worried this may poison the wildlife, Swainson hawks etc... I have
photos and video. On Dec. 24th the water running out of the building and around the site was not clear. On the 26 the water around the entry behind
the gate was not clear.   They let the water run and the water drained down the road and into a hole in the ground by the North east side to the fence,
where it disappeared. Where did it go? If it is not contaminated, fine, if it is then I want to know if it is getting into our ground water table and what got
all over me.

There were other trenches deeper than 2 feet that have been dug. These appear to be well over 2 feet deep in the area of the barn to the North.   As
our ground water is about at 15-17 feet and these appear to be very deep holes, we are concerned this runoff may have or gotten into the deep ones
and contaminate the ground.    We would like to know how deep these are and the plan filling these areas up. If we have rain and there is
contamination, it could get into our groundwater. These are also very close to the smelly red/black stuff coming out of the ground.

We are also wondering if there is any contamination in these and why there are so many dug around the building.

Attached is a photo along the barn taken recently that shows a pipe and red/black contamination.    You can smell this it is very odorous and smells
like rotten milk and bat dung. This is another hazard I am concerned about and if it is toxic. It is a big mess.

Because I am in ill health and we are now going on the third day, as a result of the dust blowing from the Spreckles site ( I was along the road and
about 300 feet away) I would like samples of the material being cleaned on the site and the red substance along the barn.

I asked you on the Dec 26, to go and check as it is right adjacent to the barn., You refused and said you had already looked. I offered to take and
show you, Chris Ochoa did not want me on site. I asked you and the gentleman with you to go and look since you were here on site over 4 times.
You refused.   I described where it was, the smell and even offered to show you a photo. This should have been checked given the water coming out
of the barn and especially given the 6 dead owls, 2 dead dogs, 1 dead wild life cat and 2 dead Swainson Hawks.

Steve Jiminez's called the owners from Fish & Game to find out about the dead wild cat. I am concerned that this massive industrial clean up was
initiated upon in an attempt to get rid of toxins, pigeon poison, feces etc.... without proper oversight. I have left calls for Steve since Dec. 24th and am
waiting a return call.

I want to know what poisons / chemicals past and present were kept on site.

I want an investigation into the smelly red / black stuff along the side of the barn as this is the same smell that came from the pool that spilled onto
our property from a pipe that looks similar to the pipe that excreted the substance back in 2001.

In fact in 2001 when we called you about this chemical that I fell in that had pooled on our property, someone contacted the owners , they sent over a
big tractor/loader and covered up the spill on our property and knocked the pipe out of the hill! Only then did enviormental health come out and they
said everything was fine. It obviously was not as the trees are dying off. They turn sheet white and even the leaves and then they die.

My question is what do I need to do to have this investigated? How are you going to protect my health. I am sick and the onset was 1 hour after being
around the dust blowing from the factory.

Who do I need to contact to get this tested to protect my family, others and habitat in the area.

Yes State Central Valley Regional Water Quality came out to take samples. They only took one sample and this was before the massive cleanup.
There has since been water runoff from the barn. Assuming they were poisoning pigeons, thus the dead bodies etc... leading to dead cats, hawks
owls... then it the barn has a good potential of being the source of the toxin's. If the barn is the source of the contamination, then new water samples
need to be taken immediately from the runoff both inside and around the barn. Additionally, if there is bat and pigeon feces how will this effect our
groundwater and surface water?

I am still confused if it is Clark Pacific, who is not currently the owner or Ochoa responsible for this cleanup, please advise.

I have attached a copy of the Yolo County Environmental Health Report and photo of the pipe with red/black stinky stuff.

I do not feel comfortable this investigation. I would like it investigated further and samples taken and tested ASAP. This is very serious.

I am concerned about my health and others. I request help from the appropriate governmental agencies, please advise me on what I need to do to
see if we have a problem and if so how to get it cleaned up so we do not have any health or environmental issues. I am not comfortable with the fact
the red/black stiff was not investigated and is clearly on site. To protect our health, I would like all of the buildings, gas, storage and site areas
checked by an appropriate agency for health or environmental risks, as people are now coming on site and working.

I will be asking agencies for help on this matter. Thank you for your time in looking into this.

Sincerely,

Brenda Cedarblade
530-304-0140

Forwarded Message

Subject: Spreckles Sugar Co. Complaint
Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:27:40 -0800
From: "Moushumi Hasan" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]

Plain Text Attachment [ Scan and Save to Computer ]

Here you go:

<<Report_Spreckles Sugar Co_Dec26.doc>>

Moushumi Hasan
Hazardous Materials Specialist III
Yolo County Environmental Health
137 N. Cottonwood Street, Suite 2400
Woodland, CA 95695
Phone (530) 666-8646 (Main)
Fax (530) 669-1448
[email protected]

___________________

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 12:39:43 -0800
From: "Wendy Wyels" <[email protected]> View Contact Details   Add Mobile Alert
To: [email protected], "Bill Brattain" <[email protected]>, "Dan Radulescu" <[email protected]>,
"Steve Rosenbaum" <[email protected]>, [email protected]
Subject: Re: Fwd: Spreckles

Brenda,
I'm very sorry to hear about your medical condition and hope that your
doctor can figure out what's wrong. I understand that you're looking
for answers, but unfortunately, staff from this agency can't help you.
We're environmental scientists, geologists, and engineers, and do not
have the training to assess health-related issues. Again, I would
suggest that you either contact the Yolo County Health Department (Jeff
Pinnow) or the Department of Toxic Substances Control (Sue Laney).

Wendy

Wendy Wyels
Supervisor, Title 27 and WDR Units
11020 Sun Center Drive, Suite 200
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-6114
phone (916) 464-4835
fax (916) 464-4780
www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley

This is what the gook looked like coming from pipes under the
Spreckles structure Dec 24th. After Yolo County environmental
health gave them the check off on clean up, they brought in a
bull dozer and the spill looks like a large pool in the photos
below. The owners and people trying to buy the property have
been working on it ever since, with no oversight and no testing.
Yolo County Environmental Health they would not go and look
at it. See correspondance Click Here