Watertrough Childrens Alliance-
help us protect our children
 

There is a separate group of people and residents that have decided to take some direct action.  They were protesting the conversion yesterday and the PD wrote a bit about it

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By MATT BROWN
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Monday, June 17, 2013 at 12:20 p.m.Last Modified: Monday, June 17, 2013 at 6:50 p.m.
About a dozen residents Monday protested work underway to convert a Sebastopol apple orchard into a vineyard, saying dust from the uprooted trees contained toxic pesticides that could harm children at neighboring schools.

Thomas Cooper, dressed in a hazmat suit, puts up a sign encouraging residents to call the Air Pollution Complaint Line for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District if they experience dust from the cutting of an orchard near the Apple Blossom Elementary School and Orchard View School in Sebastopol on Monday, June 17, 2013.

Work began last week on the property, owned by Sebastopol winemaker Paul Hobbs. Parents of children who attend several schools in the area say they want a buffer zone between the property and the adjacent Apple Blossom and Orchard View schools.

Parent groups raised the issue of soil contamination when Hobbs applied for a vineyard development permit in March. The winemaker bought the 48-acre property on Watertrough Road in 2012.

“This is so close to a school, you can't ignore it,” said Thomas Cooper, whose son attends nearby SunRidge School. “We're here to raise the alarm.”

Twin Hills School District is working with Paul Hobbs Winery to limit the dust during the conversion project, said Barbara Bickford, the district's superintendent. The winery is planning to build a fence to limit the dust and will spray chemicals outside of school hours, Bickford said.

“We certainly have taken great strides to address the concerns,” she said. “We have worked with the grower to ensure the safety of the children, the teachers and the staff.”

The school district will monitor dust levels in the air, and has met with an environmental engineer who said “the risk for dust migration appears to be minimal,” Bickford said.

Maben Rainwater, school board president, said that he will feel better about the project if Paul Hobbs Winery complies with its permit and its agreement with the district. Hobbs is required to water the fields during tree removal to keep the dust down, he said.

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