Another day, another packed public hearing near San Diego over the controversial Gregory Canyon landfill, the proposed 300-acre garbage dump that would be built next to the San Luis Rey River and sacred Native American sites. I've blogged about this wrongheaded project many times (for example, here, here, and here).
Even though this fight has been raging for more than twenty years, opposition to the project is stronger than ever. Media accounts estimated that more than 300 people came out to last Thursday's Army Corps of Engineers hearing in Escondido, the vast majority of whom opposed the landfill. Elected officials and organizational representatives who spoke out against the project outnumbered supporters 3 to 1. Individuals opposing the dump also outnumbered supporters, and time ran out before many opponents got a chance to speak.
We oppose this project, of course. But so do all 19 Native American tribes in San Diego County. Congressman Juan Vargas and County Supervisor Dave Roberts oppose the dump. Coastal cities spoke out against the landfill. So did local environmental groups, the League of Women Voters, union workers, and community groups. A broad coalition of diverse interests opposes this project. By contrast, most of the people who spoke in favor of the landfill are directly connected to the project in one way or another.
Our sincere thanks to everyone who came out on Thursday to tell the Army Corps that this project is not in the public's interest. If you weren't able to attend, it's not too late to make your voice heard -- the Corps will be accepting written comments until April 15th. Click here to visit the Save Gregory Canyon coalition's Web page and send your comments to the Corps. Together, we will beat this dump and move San Diego County away from burying our trash and toward more forward-thinking 21st-century waste solutions.
Photo credit: NRDC
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