Alameda's Contaminated Lagoons Exposed to California Water Board

"Environmental abuse is like racism; people are so
conditioned to it that it seems invisible."

Duck shock in Alameda's Lagoon #1

(For the record, I have the utmost respect for the Water Board and its staff. Their responsibility is immense; their budget is tight; and work must be prioritized. This regional office deals with major health threats like mercury and PCBS and major polluters like large dairy operations for nine counties and 76 municipalities. I sat through 5 hours of deliberations and presentations before returning a second time for a chance at the microphone. These dedicated professionals quietly go about the invisible job of protecting our health and lives.)


Alameda's aging finger lagoons are subject to state and federal environmental laws, and they're an environmental disgrace to the otherwise beautiful and progressive city of Alameda.

Today I presented a plea for strict enforcement of storm sewer regulations (see attached) at a hearing in the Elihu M. Harris State Building auditorium to the Regional Water Quality Control Board and attendees. It was highly satisfying to finally get in front of sympathetic and responsible authorities who can take appropriate action. (Here is a complete transcript of my presentation: July 8 Water Board Presentation)

The images projected onto a wall-sized screen in dimmed light were highly effective, and I delivered my rapid-fire opening statement like a prosecuting attorney. The words had been honed down to a bare minimum to fit the 3-minute format.

There's nothing special in the words I spoke. It was the simple truth people have been avoiding for years. Environmental abuse is like racism, people are so conditioned to its presence that it seems  invisible. Now the secret shame of the lagoons is out in the open.

There was a point, early on, when I sensed a hush in the place and I knew I had everyone's rapt attention. The comments from the Board Chair were rich with appreciation and concern. There was no substantive rebuttal. The Board staff seemed embarrassed, saying water quality in the lagoons was a long-known problem and would receive more attention.

It was immensely satisfying, a day I will not forget.

Nor, I suspect, will the people present.


The Water Board will be looking into the matter, and I now have friendly face-to-face relations there .

Great white egret in Marin County

There's a win-win-win solution begging to be implemented here that involves innovative thinking.

An eco-minded architect could design self-funding solar-collecting sculptures that also aerate while reducing the solar footprint on the lagoons, thereby increasing aesthetics while solving the algae problem.

Whats up, millennials? My generation Messed up. Let's put our heads together and make Alameda a model for eco-sensible partnering between man and nature. Property values would be enhanced and we could all be proud of the result.

All the Bay Area Universities should be falling over each other to solve this problem. You can't tell me that with today's technology we can't come up with a solution that preserves the beauty of the lagoons while restoring the richness of their natural function as marine habitat.

This is how they do it in Vancouver

Bayside water garden in Vancouver, B.C.

My dream is the return of seabirds to Alameda's finger lagoons. If we can't do this, they should be filled-in and made into a park.

Get Involved or Get Ready for Empty Skies

"More of us must become educated to the threat to wildlife imposed by ecological ignorance and indifference and poorly designed development and get actively involved--or..."



AT LEFT is a common tern looking for a meal in San Leandro Bay, where the marine ecosystem has entered a new era of catastrophic ecological threat due to global warming and other human activity.

Sediment buildup from Alameda's lagoons and dredging of the Oakland-Alameda Estuary have recently combined to shift tidal currents, drawing toxins from street run-off and lagoon chemicals into the feeding grounds of these magnificent aerial acrobats.

The human threat to marine wildlife here took a dramatic turn once before in the early 1900s, when dredging of a marsh turned the Alameda Penninsula into an island. The ecosystem had to adjust to the flooding and scavenging effect of powerful new tidal flows.

Further dredging of the newly-created Oakland-Alaemda Estuary made possible the Port of Oakland, a thriving seaport with hundreds of jobs, but a side-effect was a curse for the marine ecosystem of San Leandro Bay. New ship channel depths allowed larger ships to enter the Port but also increased the strength of tidal currents, drawing toxins from Alameda's lagoon effluent around the eastern tip of Alameda Island through the habitat of thousands of seabirds in San Leandro Bay.

Alameda's Tidal Curse is documented here on my blog: Alameda's Tidal Curse . The Curse is that whatever is carried down the Estuary from San Leandro Bay will be returned there and gets recycled repeatedly, day after day. The Tidal Curse is a prime suspect in the Seabird Massacre of 2015, where three hundred beautiful seabirds died and hundreds more were treated and released. The birds were caked in an oily goo that causes hypothermia a hideous death after hours of shivering from the cold.

The Massacre is still under investigation, but we don't have to wait. Action is already underway by the Regional Water Quality Control Board, who recently issued a new tentative ruling effectively declaring Zero Tolerance for anything but storm water to be released into storm sewers: Regional Water Quality Control Board Action .

This new ruling needs to be extended to include lagoons and all inland waterways feeding the San Francisco Bay. Call or write the Board with your comments. If you can--show up on June 12.

What will we learn from the 2015 Seabird Massacre? Will Alameda wake up? Will the City continue to use chemicals to control algae in their ancient finger lagoons? Will first responders become more responsive? Will the police show more interest in environmental cases? Will people use their cell phone cameras to record and report environmental threats? Will schools expand their ecological awareness curriculum?

Everyone enjoys seeing herons, terns, grebes, ducks, pelicans and egrets in our skies and waters. We share their living quarters. Urban development doesn't have to destroy wildlife. More of us must become educated to the threat to wildlife imposed by ecological ignorance and indifference and poorly designed development and get actively involved--or...

...one day the skies will be empty.

Get involved.

Here's a list of politicians, agencies and organizations you can contact: Who to Contact

Encouraging News in Quest to Protect the Seabirds

(This page is reserved for encouraging news in our mission to find the cause of Alaemda's October Toxic Spill and the Mystery Goo and take corrective action.)

May 11, 2015: GREAT NEWS! Today the Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a Tentative Order for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit under the Clean Water Act covering municipal stormwater discharges. What this order does, subject to changes after public hearings in June and July, is effectively a ZERO TOLERANCE edict against storm drain emissions other than storm water.

This means: No contaminants whatsoever. No fertilizers. No herbicides. No algicides. No surfactants. No blue dye to fight lagoon algae. It also means restrictions and monitoring at construction sites, which would ostensibly prevent the use of oil-based drilling fluids like what (I suspect) was responsible for the January 2015 Seabird Massacre. (This will be covered in a paper I plan to submit and speak on at the June10 hearing.)

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR COMMENTS AND INPUT TO BE INCLUDED. You can e-mail me or attach a comment here on the blog.


April 14, 2015: This morning's missive from the dedicated folks at International Bird Rescue in Fairfield:

"Dear Mr Heying,Thank you so much for taking the time to email your information and idea about the Mystery Goo to us. I have forwarded a link to your blog, as well as your email to the State investigators who are still working on the this case and determined to find the responsible party.

Barbara Callahan Interim Director International Bird Rescue www.Bird-Rescue.org"

Seniors Comprehend Lagoon Portal Bird Goo Theory

"...to date, no other plausible theory has been proposed explaining the source of the Bird Massacre Mystery Goo..."

The Lagoon Portal Theory is based on a solid foundation irrefutable facts detailed below in a summary of my presentation to a group of thirty seniors at Alameda's Independence Plaza yesterday. Their questions stretched my planned twenty-minute multi-media talk to well over an hour. Large photos and other hand-outs were accompanied by videos of lagoon dredging, directional drilling and drilling mud.

The Lagoon Portal Bird Goo Theory asserts that January's bird-killing Mystery Goo came from drilling mud released into Alameda's lagoons last fall during a sewer replacement project scheduled at the same time the lagoons were being dredged.

As of today, May 7, 2015, no other plausible theory has been proposed explaining the source of the Bird Massacre Mystery Goo, nor has anyone credibly refuted the Lagoon Portal Theory. City management has been copied on practically every major posting on this blog, yet their silence is deafening.

Fine. I have what I believe will be "smoking gun" physical evidence in my cross-hairs. In the next few days I expect hard proof in hand of a massive release of drilling mud into the lagoons. Wish me luck.

Independence Plaza

The seniors at Independence Plaza were an enthusiastic audience, many of whom are eager to get involved. They clearly understood the Lagoon Portal Theory despite the complexities, and they understood the implication that if the perpetrators of the 2015 Bay Area Bird Massacre are allowed to go unpunished, it is an invitation for repetition.

MYSTERY GOO FACTS AND FOLLOW-UP

FACTS:
1. Two eyewitness accounts of a plume of Grey Sludge from the direction of a Lagoon Portal
2. Lagoon Dredging was underway for the 2 weeks prior to sighting of the Grey Plume
3. The Plume contained debris consistent with dredging
4. Photo evidence of a Foaming Surfactant in a lagoon similar to oil spill clean-up
5. Seabirds were killed by a mysterious Grey Goo soon after sighting the Plume
6. Grey Goo lab analysis matches drilling fluid
7. Two City drilling projects Llagoon Seawall Sewer Replacement and Coast Guard Island Power Conduit) were conducted prior to Plume sighting
8. An abandoned trench adjacent to lagoons is consistent with drilling activity
9.  Nearby tidal currents are conducive to distribution of lagoon emissions on seabird habitat
10. Photo evidence of seabird habitat degradation near lagoon portal during relevant time frame
11.The Lagoon Portal and CGI Conduit are the only plausible Goo sources proposed to date
12.No credible refutations of these two sources have thus far been advanced

OBJECTIVE: A commission to…
•  Investigate Alameda's drilling and dredging projects for linkage to the  seabird massacre
•  Evaluate the environmental risk of using chemicals in the lagoons
•  Evaluate the responsiveness of emergency services to environmental threat
•  Propose an Environmental Good Samaritan ordinance offering a bounty for reporting polluters
•  Review and/or propose a city environmental policy
•  Advise Mayor on establishment of a city office of environmental awareness

MORE INFO: www.AlamedaGoo.org

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE:
Tell government representatives you are concerned about the ecosystem and want a reporting system and consequences for toxic damage. Sign a petition soon to be circulated. Visit the AlamedaGoo blog to learn more. Share what you learn.

GOVERNMENT CONTACTS:
Senator Mark Leno – 916.651.4011- no email -- c/o  ali.bay@sen.ca.gov
Assemblyman Rob Bonta – 510.286.16701 – info@robbonta.com
Mayor Trish Spencer – 510.747.4701 - tspencer@alamedaca.gov
Alameda City Council – 510.747.4722 - clerk@alamedaca.gov - 2263 Santa Clara Ave, Alameda, CA 94501

OTHER CONTACTS:
Monty J Heying - 510-872-3144 - MHeying777@yahoo.com
April B. Squires - 415-592-4119  - Squires.April@gmail.com
Michael  Dunmore - 510-263-8122 - iopenmymail@gmail.com
Golden Gate Audubon Society -  510-843-2222 - 2530 San Pablo Ave # G, Berkeley, CA 94702

Check out the Prime Suspect: Click here to learn about the Mystery Goo Prime Suspect.

The Mystery Bird Goo Matches Drilling Mud

"Compare the grey on the duck's chest with the color of the drilling fluid..."

Strong indications have surfaced that a type of drilling mud is a likely source of the "Mystery Goo" that killed and injured hundreds of Bay Area seabirds this winter. All five of the goo's chemical components are present in the type of drilling mud described in detail in this patent application.*

Drilling fluid, or "mud," is a concoction of liquids and other materials used in drilling boreholes into the earth. The main function of the viscous liquid is to provide back pressure to prevent other fluids from coming up, to bring cuttings to the surface, and to lubricate, cool and clean the drill bit. Well-drilling involves drilling mud and waste mud must be disposed of. Here's a video illustrating how drilling mud works: Click here for Youtube clip on drilling mud.

Laboratory analysis of the Mystery Goo was reported by California Fish and Wildlife's Janna Rinderneck to contain five types of material: "silicone fluids, tung oils, resins or rosin oils, animal fats, and edible or inedible seed oils from plants." All five of these categories are present in the type of drilling compound described in detail in the above patent application.

One-hundred percent is a pretty strong indication that some form of drilling mud is repsonsible for the Goo.


How did drilling mud get into the waters that surround Alameda where the bird massacre occcured?

Last year, two large drilling contracts were let in Alameda--one by the Department of Public Works for replacement of a sewer line in a lagoon seawall** and the other by Alameda Municipal Power for running conduit across the Oakland-Alameda Estuary to Coast Guard Island. The CGI project began and ended before the October 12 sludge spill.

The project schedule for lagoon seawall sewer line replacement calls for contract award Sept 2, in plenty of time for a hemorrhage of drilling fluid into the lagoons to occur before October 12.

Dredge in Alameda lagoon

Alameda Public Works also conducted major lagoon dredging in the months prior to and including the first two weeks of October, 2014.

Lagoon,showing white and grey foam

The photo at right reveals the apparent use of a white foaming agent and/or a surfactant to clarify lagoon water after dredging.

A well-drilling surfactant matching 80% (4 out of 5) of the Goo's chemical components shows up in a 2007 patent application.***

Duck saturated with "Mystery Goo"

Around the same time the grey and white foam was photographed floating in the lagoons, a plume of foamy grey sludge was reported in San Leandro Bay. The lagoon foam, the San Leandro Bay sludge and the Bird Goo all are grey.

Compare the grey on the duck's chest with the color of the drilling fluid in the top photo.


On October 12, 2014, the plume of sludge was seen entering San Leandro Bay from the direction of a lagoon portal just west of the Otis Street/Bay Farm Bridge. The plume was observed moving from there into and down the Oakland-Alameda Estuary toward San Francisco Bay on the outgoing tide. (See below for a map depicting tidal currents around Alameda.****) By mid-January, 2015, hundreds of seabirds caked with a grey goo of unknown origin were found near Alameda.

Alameda Public Works was in charge of lagoon dredging and water clarity and also of the seawall sewer project that entailed the use of a drilling fluid, possibly the type described in the patent application mentioned in the first paragraph of this page. Did the seawall drilling project expel a ton of drilling mud into a lagoon? Was that covered up by lagoon dredging and then cleaned up with a foaming agent and a surfactant?

Eye-witness observations, visual characteristics, time frames and the lab analysis of the Bird Goo all support a connection between the Goo and Alameda's lagoons and drilling projects.

Public Works has some questions to answer.



*See patent application for drilling fluid containing all five of the Bird Goo's ingredients (silicone, tung oil, seed oil, resin and animal fats): Click here for patent application for drilling fluid

**See bidding notice for drilling contracts: Click here for bidding notice

***A 2007 patent application for a surfactant used in well drilling reveals a combination of materials that include polymeric fluids (e.g., silicone) tung oils, fish oils (animal fat) and various seed oils: Click here to examine patent application for well-drilling surfactant.

****Here is a map and discussion of Alameda's tidal currents: Click here for explanation of tidal movements

Continuing Evidence of a Lethal Surfactant

"When I think of the hundreds of birds killed, it is chilling to see this foam entering San Leandro Bay again, exactly six months later."

New Goo, or Remnants of the October Spill?

Either a surfactant is continuing to be released into the waters around Alameda or the foamy stuff in these photos is the remains of the initial plume I observed October 12, six months ago. Either way, the material needs to be sampled and tested. I have reported it but didn't call 911 because the volume wasn't massive. Should I have, given the previous responses to my calls?

Yesterday, April 12, I spotted this clear evidence of a surfactant along the northern (Oakland) shore of the Oakland-Alameda Estuary. Grey foam on saltwater usually indicates the presence of surfactant. For over a mile from the Fruitvale Bridge to San Leandro Bay, this unnatural-looking material (see Site 3 photo) clung to the shoreline and swirled in eddies on the slow incoming tide.

Using a reclaimed plastic pop bottle, I took a sample of several ounces and will hand it over to a  Hazardous Materials Specialist at Alameda County Department of Environmental Health today.

Following are my photos of yesterday's discovery.




Site 1 faces west and is the spot where I first noticed these new dregs of foam Sunday, April 12, six months to the day since the October spill. Here, a hundred or so yards east of the Fruitvale Bridge, a thin trail of greyish-tan foam drifts lazily in an eddy.

Site 2 is a few yards east of Site 1. It faces east and shows another eddy with foam, and a duck heading right for it.

Site 3 is a close-up of the foam in Site 2. All the sites have identical material--bubbles in a matrix of greyish-tan liquid. With few exceptions, the bubbles are strikingly uniform in diameter and highly resilient. They don't burst easily when touched by a solid object. Instead, they attempt to attach.

Ponder what this material would do to feathers. Repeated exposures would create layer upon layer of gummy film as each successive layer dried in the sun.

Site 4 is east of the High Street Bridge, a few hundred yards east of Site 3.

Site 5 is farther east. The control tower at Oakland Airport can be seen just beyond San Leandro Bay.

Site 6 is near the mouth to San Leandro Bay, facing the tip of Alameda Island.

Seabirds can be seen foraging among the foam.

Site 7 is at the mouth of San Leandro Bay.

That pin at about 1 o'clock is the tower at Oakland airport.

When I think of the hundreds of birds killed, it is chilling to see this foam on the shores of San Leandro Bay again, exactly six months later.

How many times has the tide returned, delivering this deadly foam?

Update:
I dropped off my sample at the County Environmental office around 5PM.

Meet the Victims of the Mystery Goo Seabird Massacre

Empty Air

Beautiful creatures
caked with sludge,

unable to forage or fly,

shivering among the rocks and reeds

for hours until they die.

In the winter months, San Leandro Bay becomes a haven for thousands of migrating flocks, from Canada, Alaska, wherever the compass needle points north. They come because it's warm and wet and there's food. They must restore body fat for their return in spring.

Imagine these beautiful creatures threatened by careless or uninformed municipal workers whose focus is only on keeping lagoon water clear and safe. "Those birds are really pretty resilient," one recently said.

This is the scenario that I believe led to the toxic spill I and a friend witnessed and tried to report. Week's later hundreds of waterfowl like these were dead or injured. This blog attempts to link these two events and show how it happened, to help guide the efforts of investigative agencies like California Fish and Wildlife, Cal-EPA and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Most of the affected birds were surf scoters, buffleheads, coots and grebes, all of the birds pictured frequent the areas where the lethal "grey goo" did its damage--concentrated in the waters surrounding Alameda Island.

We must find out who did this and hold them accountable. For if we don't, it can happen again.

(click photos to enlarge)

Great blue heron (click to enlarge)

Avocet

Bufflehead

Goldeneye

Surf scoter

Greater scaup

Snowy egret

Horned grebe

Western grebe

Night Heron

Loon

Stilts

Snowy plover

Black-bellied plover

Brown pelican

Coot

Common tern

Clapper rail (c/o Wikipedia)

Surf scoter (male)

What is a Surfactant?

"Think laundry detergent, dish soap."

A mysterious Grey Goo killed or injured five hundred beautiful seabirds in early 2015, many of them from the north on their annual migratory stopover .My research suggests the goo is an emulsion or colloidal suspension* created by the use of an industrial surfactant in Alameda's aging finger lagoons to clarify the water after dredging.

SURFace, ACTive and AgeNT
The term "surfactant" comes from the words, SURFace, ACTive and AgeNT. A surfactant is a chemical substance, usually a liquid, that, among other things, changes the surface tension of water. Common examples would be laundry detergent and household dish-washing soap, which emulsify oils and fats so they can be carried away down the drain.

Surfactants are used in some municipal sewage plants to clarify contaminated water. Surfactants can be used in oil spill clean-up. Oil and water do not mix, but oil can be emulsified by adding a surfactant. It's similar to dunking a greasy skillet into soapy dishwater. Emulsification occurs when surfactant molecules break the oil (or grease) into tiny particles by tightly surrounding them.

A foaming industrial surfactant uses a chemical binding process called "ionic attraction" to attach in a similar way to particles suspended in dirty water. The remaining emulsion or colloidal suspension* can then be skimmed off.

Water Treatment Skimmer

Drill-down with Google Maps on a sewage treatment plant. Those open round vessels with arms extending across are skimmers. (See example at left.)

In the photo at right, it looks as if the lagoons have been turned itno a gigantic laundry tub.

The grey areas (see arrows) denote interaction of the foam with targeted particles (contaminants) stirred up by dredging. This grey material, technically an emulsion or colloidal suspension, is what I suspect to be the bird-killing Grey Mystery Goo reported in the news.

If I am right, the Mystery Goo is essentially an emulsion or colloidal suspension* created by interaction between an industrial surfactant and the contaminants (dissolved and undissolved solids) clouding the water due to the mechanical disturbance of dredging.

The contaminants could also include drilling mud (a fluid used in earth-boring), a form of which was found to match the laboratory analysis of the Bird Goo.

Harmless, but Lethal
Most surfactants are normally harmless to humans, but they can be lethal to waterfowl, especially when dosed repeatedly (See "Continuing Evidence of a Lethal Surfactant" ), because they cut through (emulsify) natural body oils that allow feathers to insulate them from the cold.

When those natural oils are stripped away, the birds die of hypothermia. It is a slow, hideous way to die because of the lengthy suffering it entails.

The chemical properties of a surfactant make it the ultimate toxin in a marine environment because surfactant molecules seek always to get between water and on-aqueous matter. Since essentially no marine life or habitat can escape a surfactant, its killing power is incalculable.

The world's favorite emulsion is ice cream. This was not ice cream.


Breaking News:
It is revealed in an April 19 blog post here that the Goo matches a viscous solution used in well-drilling generically called "drilling mud." (Click here to read the blog about drilling mud matching the Goo 100%.) The drilling mud and the surfactant are comprised 80% of matching materials (tung oil, seed oil, animal fats and silicone.) A foaming agent would emulsify the surfactant and drilling mud, creating a sludge that would float through the lagoon portal out into San Francisco Bay.


Below are several web links to sites that explain surfactants and the process of emulsification.

Web Sites: 
Key Center for Polymer Colloids
"Surfactants": http://discovery.kcpc.usyd.edu.au//9.5.5-short/9.5.5_introsurfactants.html

Youtube Videos:
"32-6 surfactant energy...": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYLbca-hI5E

"What are emulsions": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC_czAL24zY

"Surfactant. How does a Surfactant Work?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOGtGmScZzw

"How Surfactants Help You Clean": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HwSJLO_cVs

"Warning: Dispersant/surfactant eats through...": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt7pC8yzvok


*Wikipedia: "An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) ...A colloid is a substance in which microscopically dispersed insoluble particles are suspended throughout another substance.Sometimes the dispersed substance alone is called the colloid;^[1] the term colloidal suspension refers unambiguously to the overall mixture,,."

"A foaming agent is a material that facilitates formation of foam such as a surfactant or a blowing agent. A surfactant, when present in small amounts, reduces surface tension of a liquid (reduces the work needed to create the foam) or increases its colloidal stability by inhibiting coalescence of bubbles."


Other References:
Bätje, M., and H. Michaelis. 1986. Phaeocystis pouchetii blooms in the East Frisian coastal waters (German Bight, North Sea). Marine Biology 93:21-27.
Courtemanch, D. 2004. Foam—A cause for concern? http://www.state.me.us/dep/blwq/doclake/foam.htm

Eckhardt, B.W., and T.R. Moore. 1990. Controls on dissolved organic carbon concentrations in streams, southern Quebec. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 47:1537-1544.

Fact Sheet: Foam. 2004. Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Office of Water Quality Assessment Branch.
http://www.in.gov/idem/macs/factsheets/media/foam.html

Fendinger, J.J., D.J. Versteeg, E Weeg, S. Dyer, and R.A. Rapaport. 1994. Environmental behavior and fate of anionic surfactants. In, Environmental Chemistry of Lakes and Reservoirs, L.A. Baker (ed.). American Chemical Society, Washington D.C.

Fuller, D. 2003. The occurrence of foam on lakes and streams. Great Lakes Environmental Directory, 394 Lake Ave. S. Suite #222, Duluth, MN 55802. http://www.greatlakesdirectory.org/zarticles/012903_great_lakes1.htm

Gergel, S.E., M.G. Turner, and T. K. Kratz. 1999. Dissolved organic carbon as an indicator of the scale of watershed influence on Lakes and Rivers. Ecological Applications 9:1377-1390.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 2004. Harmful Algae Blooms in Maryland. 
http://mddnr.chesapeakebay.net/hab/news_083104.cfm


Wegner, C., and M. Haburger. 2002. Occurrence of stable foam in the Upper Rhine River caused by plant-derived surfactants. Environmental Science and Technology 36:3250-3256.

City Council Presentation - April 7, 2014

Below is a link to the six-minute presentation by April Squires and I to the Alameda's City Council on our concerns about the October toxic spill. Our presentation begins about 6:28 into the clip.

Click Here for a Video Transcript of City Council Presentation

We also supplied a .pdf file containing my photo essay and a Powerpoint file with many other details. This file is available free upon request.

With this formal presentation, the city staff and council members are on record as having been duly and thoroughly informed of a serious environmental threat affecting not just a few hundred birds, but the community served by the council and the entire Bay Area populace whose lives are potentially affected by toxic emissions into our delicate ecosystem.


Below is a full transcript of our six minute presentation:

ALAMEDA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

APRIL 7, 2015

Section 1 - Comments by April B. Squires

 Around 4 o'clock on the afternoon of October 12,  2014, I watched a floating expanse of grayish-brown sludge enter San Leandro Bay from the direction of Alameda's Otis Street Bridge. The plume moved slowly and curled around the eastern tip of Alameda Island, then entered the Oakland-Alameda Estuary. Mr. Heying and I continued watching, following the plume from a footpath on the Oakland side of the estuary. Around 5:30PM we observed the plume from directly above on the Fruitvale Bridge. 

By that time the plume extended from San Leandro Bay westward past the Park Street bridge.  It was greyish-brown and had a thick, gel-like, almost foamy consistency unlike anything I had ever seen. The plume was about fifteen feet wide and maybe 20 foot long segments, imbedded with some clumps of grass with roots attached and other debris, including straws, paper cups and pieces of wood. There were occasional breaks in the plume where there was a thin oily sheen.

Around 6 PM Mr. Heying borrowed my cell phone and called 911. I listened as he was first connected with CHP, then the Alameda Fire Department. I heard him describe the sludge and tell the other party that he would remain in the area at the Nob Hill parking lot and be available by cell phone if he was needed. I heard him give his cell phone number so he could be contacted. Mr. Heying told me, "They said they would send a truck.”

Because it was getting dark and cold, Mr. Heying and I had coffee at Peet's at Nob Hill Grocery, sitting where we could see the Fruitvale Bridge, expecting to hear a siren. After about an hour, when there was no siren or fire truck, I left and Mr. Heying said he would return to the bridge and try again.

Issues that concern me going forward:

1. The insufficient response resulting from two 911 calls.  I learned that it is likely that response is inadequate because there is no protocol in place for first-responders in pollution cases that are not petroleum-based.

2. That the City of Alameda should establish its own protocol to protect the marine life we all enjoy as well as public safety of residents and visitors who enjoy the beaches.  The mayor should create a commission and a citizen advisory committee.

3. That the proposed SB 718 by California state senators Mark Leno and Lori Hancock delineates procedures to report pollution events, identify causes, hold accountable polluters and create and promote citizen reporting and involvement.  The mayor should ensure that the City’s protocol is integrated with the senate bill.

Section 2 - Comments by Monty J Heying

 I investigated the plume that Ms. Squires and I observed, and here some of my facts and conclusions.

 Facts:

1. Alameda's finger lagoons underwent extensive dredging during the first two weeks of October, 2014.
2. Dredging solids from these lagoons were dumped in a toxic "hot spot" at Alameda Point, and the residual liquids were released through the lagoon portal into San Francisco Bay.
3. Two months later a "Grey Mystery Goo" killed and injured hundreds of seabirds along the shores of Alameda, San Leandro and Hayward, and a bird rescue non-profit's budget has been drained.
4. Chemical analysis by Cal Fish and Wildlife has not ruled out lagoon dredgings as the source of the Mystery Goo.*
5. Cal Fish and Wildlife took samples from near the lagoon portal to test and compare with the Mystery Goo.
6. I saw an employee of Clean Lakes, Inc.* taking a lagoon water sample.
7. Per their web site, Clean Lakes uses toxic agricultural chemicals to "clarify" inland waterways. One such product is “…absorbed and trans-located by aquatic plant foliage, interfering with plant metabolism." Another is "…a contact herbicide effective against a broad range of aquatic plants." Clean Lakes also uses surfactants, which are chemical compounds that can emulsify dissolved and undissolved solids and render them floatable. (Image 1kc)
8. Degradation of marine habitat near the lagoon portal is evident. (Images 1y & 1zz)
9. Here is a photo showing a foaming agent, a possible surfactant, in the lagoons. Notice the grey fringe where the white foam meets the water as if a chemical change is taking place. (Image 1kc)

  

*Rinderneck quote: "...  silicone fluids, tung oils, resins or rosin oils, animal fats, and edible or inedible seed oils from plants"

Conclusions:

1. The timing, flow direction and content of the October sludge plume are consistent with Alameda's lagoon dredging and the Mystery Goo.
2. Additional sampling and analysis are required to prove linkage between the Goo and the lagoons.
3. Further investigation is needed to determine the extent of environmental damage and the  risk of relying on toxic chemicals to maintain the aging finger lagoons.
4. We need further study to determine the extent to which a new era of catastrophic environmental risk to the marine ecosystem of San Leandro Bay has been brought about by changes in tidal currents due to drought-related sediment build-up.

#   #   #

*Clean Lakes, Inc.'s web site.

 ARI is another company specializing in inland waterway clarification: ARI's web site

Bid Specifications for Sewer Line Replacement

Item 5 of the following excerpt from a City bid document specifies 91 linear feet of directional drilling that would involve use of drilling mud. 

The Milestones specify an "N.T.P" (notice to proceed) date of Oct-Nov 2014, is in time to create the October 12 plume of grey sludge observed entering San Leandro Bay from the direction of the lagoon's portal.

BID DOCUMENT

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The following items are important elements of the proposed work and the contractor should refer to any similar work she/he has performed in the past within their pre-qualification application.

1. Saw cut and remove an existing 10" sewer pipe from an existing retaining wall adjacent to a Lagoon waterway including removal of the corrugated metal roof covering of the pipe and its supports. The wall is a historic seawall built in the early 1900’s. The waterway is owned by a private Homeowners association and private residents. The wall is in need of minor repairs. Private laterals through the existing wall will need to be abandoned.

2. Construct a temporary access road within the lagoon during the drawdown period for Item No. 1 pipe removal. Care must be taken of the historic lagoon seawall during the pipe removal. Contractor to provide a design submittal with details of the pipe removal and temporary access.

3. Install new sewer pipe - main extensions by open cut construction with in the public street Right of Way. The street is asphalt; a. Install PVC SDR 26- 4" sewer laterals from the sewer main to the back of walk and also to the existing single family structures within well- established lawns adjacent to historic homes on four streets;

4. Install and restore surface improvement on 21 separate private lots including various varieties of the following: grasses, bricks; concrete; landscaping plants, trees and bushes; specialty pavement surfaces; concrete curb, gutter and sidewalk. The contractor will be expected to enter and exit private properties to perform said work efficiently and with concern and respect for resident’s existing structures, improvements and property. Working limits are restricted to 10 ft. wide maximums with the pipe installation as the centerline on the existing private properties.

5. Installation of sewer pipe by horizontal directional drilling of +/- 91 LF of 8" sewer main between two manholes in close proximity to existing homes using front steer guided bore and jack method with steel bend VCP. Install new sewer manhole and rehabilitate existing sewer manhole with epoxy/cement like coating on Hawthorne Street. 

6. Abandonment of existing sewer pipes by filling with lightweight cell-Crete or equal under residential structures.

7. The on-site Resident Engineer of the Construction Company has recent construction project management experience in working directly with the residents at their homes and property before, during, and after the construction and subsequent restoration of the surface improvements in a high profile historic area. References would be helpful.

8. Location of existing utilities by pot holing and protecting existing utilities in place in an older neighborhood including water, storm drain, underground telephone, gas lines, fiber optic, underground electric and cable.

9. Open cut installation of 700 LF of 8" sewer main in private back yards of local residents with subsequent restoration in "like kind" of various surface improvements. Reconnection and or installation of four new private sewer laterals to new sewer main.

10. Install new sewer pump station (approximately 5 ft. diameter, 17 ft. deep), motor control panel, SCADA communication equipment and construct approximately 700 LF of 4" PVC C900 force main on Paru Street.

11. Install new PVC SDR 26 -8" sewer main and sewer manholes on St Charles Street.

DRAWINGS: The plans and specifications are not available for review at this time.

PROJECT SCHEDULE: The anticipated Project schedule is summarized below:

Preliminary Project Milestones	Anticipated Date
Issue Request for SOPQ	April 4, 2014
Pre-Qualification Conference and submittal from contractor of Questions and Comments form due Date	April 21, 2014
Issue PreQUAL - Q and A and comments	April 28, 2014
SOPQ Packages Due to City	May 5, /2014
Final Plans and specifications to City Clerk	May 19, 2014
City staff Reviews SOPQ and Rank firms	May 21, 2014
City staff notifies all firms with Ranking status	May 22, 2014
Final Plans adopted by City Council	June 17, 2014
City Invites Bids from Qualified Bidders list	June 20, 2014
Bid Opening/Bid Due Date	July 24, 2014
Project Award	Sept, 2, 2014
N.T.P. [notice to proceed] issued	Oct - Nov 2014
Substantial Project Completion	May 2015
Anticipated Project Final Completion	July 2015

The Owner has determined that Prospective Bidders on the Project must possess a valid State of California Class A General Engineering Contractor License at the time of submission of this SOPQ.

The entire SOPQ Package (SOPQ questionnaire answers and financial statements), submitted by Prospective Bidders, are not public records and are not open to public inspection. All information provided will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. However, the contents may be disclosed to third parties for purpose of verification, or investigation of substantial allegations, or in the appeal hearing. State law requires that the names of Prospective Bidders applying for pre-qualification status shall be in the public records subject to disclosure, and the first page of the SOPQ questionnaire will be used for that purpose.

The Prospective Bidder shall provide only complete and accurate information in their SOPQ Package. The Prospective Bidder acknowledges that the Owner is relying on the truth and accuracy of the responses contained herein. Each SOPQ questionnaire must be signed under penalty of perjury in the manner designated at the end of the form, by an individual who has the legal authority to bind the Prospective Bidder on whose behalf that person is signing. If any information provided by a Prospective Bidder becomes inaccurate, the Prospective Bidder must immediately notify the Owner and provide updated accurate information in writing, under penalty of perjury. Should a Prospective Bidder omit or falsify requested information, the Owner may designate the Prospective Bidder as not pre-qualified.

The Owner reserves the right to waive non-material irregularities and omissions in the information contained in the pre-qualification application submitted and to make all final determinations. The Owner reserves the right to cancel this Notice or to reject any and all responses and SOPQ Packages, in its sole discretion. City of Alameda – General Contractor SOPQ -4-g:\pubworks\cip\90909 lagoon seawall sewer\pre qualification documents\prequalification for lagoon sewer replace.doc

The Owner shall not be liable for any costs incurred by Contractors in the preparation and submittal of responses to this Request for Qualifications. The Prospective Bidder accepts all risks and cost associated with the completion of the SOPQ Package without any financial guarantee by the Owner.

SIGNED: City of Alameda Public Works DepartmentCapital Improvement ProjectsCarol Clark, PEProject Manager/Associate Civil Engineer

***END OF NOTICE***