- First and foremost, we need to restore the Eel River and its surrounding riverbanks to the pristine condition nature intended.
- Second, we are trying to educate the public about the possible contamination of our watershed and favorite swimming holes, as well as the dangers our beloved fish and wildlife may face.
- Our final goal is to continue pressuring local and state agencies until someone will take on some responsibility and stop ignoring the problem.
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Most of us who live in Southern Humboldt have chosen to live here because we welcome a slower pace of life, we enjoy a sense of community and we have a deep appreciation for fresh air and all the gifts the great outdoors has to offer. Unfortunately, until recently, many in our community had no idea about the enormous garbage dumpsites threatening the safety and health of our river.
Over the past year and a half, our small crew has collected (and disposed of properly) over 50 tons of garbage, most of which was hidden in the bushes along the Eel, well within the high water line. We have even found toxic chemicals, car batteries, used adult and baby diapers and used hypodermic needles lying in creek beds with water washing over them.
$30,000 from generous community and private donations has been spent so far, and the problem is nowhere near over. 22 state and local agencies have been notified, but much to our disappointment, not one will help us. Many of these agencies and local representatives have been contacted by the Eel River Clean Up Crew several times.
Here are just a few of the responses we received:
- Roger Rodoni, Humboldt County Second District Supervisor: "Hopeless, welfare gets all the money"
- Brian Cox, Head of Environmental Health: Brian Cox stated that he was improperly informed about the dumpsites, even though we called him 6 times.
- John Short, Regional Water, Santa Rosa: After 7 phone calls, when he was finally reached, he wished us, "Good Luck".
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Household Garbage
near Sylvandales |
Not a single local or state agency will do anything about the problem because there is no revenue in it. Environmental health will not give us the time od day, but they will send someone 86 miles, one way, to fine a single mother for having an outhouse. How an outhouse in the hills is more of a health hazard than pounds upon pounds of adult diapers full of fecal matter near the river, is beyond us. 7 different fish and game offices have been notified, but have also declined to help.
Should we continue to pretend that it doesn't exist and just let the garbage and human waste pile up and fall into the river? Well, we as the Eel River Clean Up Crew find this unacceptable. We are working tirelessly to try and get the problem under control, but it seems impossible when new dumpsites are being created every day. We can't do this alone. Every penny from the donations we have received has gone toward cleanup efforts, but now we are almost out of funds. |
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