I have not followed the controversy around the Clover Flat Landfill. Landfills seem like one of those land uses that will always generate controversy and that are an easy target for environmentalists. I knew that Geoff Ellsworth, the St. Helena mayor and activist, had taken it on as a cause and had generated a lot of heat in the city council over the issue. But I wasn't really paying much attention.

Today I was sent a link to the third episode of a documentary on the landfill. It was eye opening, in the same way that the revalations about Sup. Pedroza's self-dealing and lack of disclosure about Walt Ranch were. It isn't just a story about the stench of environmental pollution. It is also about the whiff of corruption in county politics.

The Documentary website is here: Garbage and Greed Website

The first two episodes deal with the environmental pollution issues, the inappropriateness of the mountaintop site, the toxic waste leaching into the ground water and overflowing into streams and the dangers those pollutants pose. The third, however, lays out the political enablement that has kept the landfill in operation. While the web of connections between politicians and operators may be just the way that government necessarily interacts with a monopolistic public service, there is always the potential for corrupt relations in the management and oversight of a locally-owned for-profit public service that has operated for so many years under-the-radar. Now that the operation has been sold to a large waste managemet company, those relations will be mor transparently regularted.


And this documentary from Diversity Watch: Wasting Napa

Articles
The Guardian 6/9/24: Napa Valley has lush vineyards and wineries - and a pollution problem
NVR 12/3/22: Clover Flat landfill hit with $619,400 fine
NVR 10/28/22: Napa Valley garbage company, landfill to be sold
NVR 10/17/22: Ellsworth files complaint against Clover Flat Landfill
NVR 9/6/22: Clover Flat Landfill faces federal lawsuit over alleged stormwater pollution

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