Jane Bogner
Solano Group

NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS: E-mail Solano Group at solanobreeze@yahoo.com. Solano Group Web site will be constructed soon. Any member offering help on this site will not be refused.

SOLANO GROUP MEMBER POT LUCK is scheduled for Saturday, November 9 at 6 pm at the Fetterly Art Gallery in Vallejo. Watch your mailbox for more information.

********

VALCORE Community Recycling: 2002 VALCORE Recycling WORKDAYS: September 28, November 2, and December 28. We work from 9 am to Noon. $50 is offered to volunteer supervisors for their favorite classroom. Solano Group earned $2600 last year as a member of VALCORE. Thanks to all for bringing their valuable recyclables to Vallejo. A big thanks to Larry Gonzales for helping me at Vallejo's Farmers' Market on August 10.

COMPOSTING CLASS: VALCORE Recycling will hold a composting class at their site on Oct. 12 from 10:00 am to noon. Call 707 55-EARTH for details.

Mare Island to Medusa 10K, 5K race is November 2. VALCORE does all the recycling for the event. Help is needed. Volunteers get a free T-shirt and free admission to Marine World on that day. Call Jane at 644-9183 or jabogner@juno.com. Additional tickets are only $15 if purchased in advance. 10K /5K Run info at 648-4601 or Mare Island to Medusa.

********

EXCOM MEETING DATE: Solano Group EXCOM (Executive Committee) will meet on Wednesday, October 30 and December 4 (one week after Thanksgiving) at 7 p.m. at the Fetterly Art Gallery located in the Vallejo Plaza at 2467 Sonoma Blvd. Email solanobreeze@yahoo.com or call 644-9183 for more information.

NEW OFFICERS NEEDED. Solano Group needs a secretary, a treasurer and outing's coordinator for next year. All nominations will be considered.

********

HIKES: October 26: Green Valley Falls near Solano College. Reservations required. Call Kenn at 553-1653 or solanobreeze@yahoo.com.

Hikes at Swett/King Ranches in Solano County Dates: Oct 12, Nov 16, and Dec 7. Class M 8 A. Explore these recently optioned (but not yet open to the public) lands. There are no trails and star thistle is very common, so long pants, water, snacks and good boots are recommended. Parts of these lands will soon be part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail and excellent views of bay, marsh, creeks and grasslands abound. We are assured of seeing some wildlife. Each hike will go to another corner of these ranches. Heavy rain cancels. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Park and Ride at the Hiddenbrooke Parkway exit of I-80. Info/Reservation: 707-864-2108 or keva@castles.com.

********

The activities start at 11:00 a.m. and include a 2-hour Horseback Ride, 2-hour Bicycle Ride, Short Kids/Family Hike, 90 Minute Hike, A Long Hike to American Canyon and an exhibit of Lynch Canyon Landscapes Paintings from SCC art instructor Marc Pandone's landscape class. Directions: I-80 to American Canyon Rd. east toward Hiddenbrooke. Take immediate left/north onto McGary Rd. Follow signs to Lynch Canyon. Help is needed to set up, please call Jane at 644-9183 or jabogner@juno.com.

********

BENICIA: VALERO ALERT

The Valero Refining Company California, located in Benicia, seems to be moving on three fronts. Valero applied to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) for a Title V operating permit. Valero proposed an Alternative Compliance Plan (ACP) that addresses the means Valero plans to use to comply with the nitrogen oxide emissions requirements of the BAAQMD Regulation 9, Rule 10. Valero's ACP was challenged in court and the court ordered BAAQMD to prepare an environmental impact report (EIR). The EIR indicated that the proposed ACP had the potential to cause an adverse impact on the air quality in the Bay Area Community. A public hearing was held July 10, 2002, and it is expected that a Title V permit will be granted to Valero soon by the BAAQMD. All Solano County residents need to be gravely concerned about any potential cumulative impact to air quality that could occur as a result of the ACP being approved.

Valero proposed a new Valero Improvement Plan (VIP) to the BAAQMD which would allow Valero to process different crude oils and significantly increase production levels. The word "improvement" is still open to interpretation. It is anyone's guess as to how much improvement will be realized when the plan involves increasing the production of crude oils at the refinery. Do we really need significantly different and additional heavier crude oils refined in the Bay Area? The third issue is whether the BAAQMD should issue additional emission credits to Valero since the refinery is cutting back on emissions from a separate stack? The Valero team feels cutting back on one stack should allow them to increase emissions from another stack. If Valero is really a "good neighbor" why don't they cut back on the one stack and not increase emission credits anywhere else in their plant?

PUBLIC COMMENTS NEED TO BE HEARD!

WRITE: Bay Area Air Quality Management District, 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, 94109 FAX 4 15-928-0338

CALL: Benicia City Council Members /Planning Commission

INFO: Jerri Curry at winpubs@msn.com

********