Although the Sonoma County dump, west of Cotati,  has been closed for more than three and a half years, the former manager of the facility says the issues behind its closure are political, not environmental.

 

Ken Wells (right), the former manager of the Sonoma County landfill says the  "leak" discovered beneath the dump back in 2004, has taken on an exaggerated significance due to subsequent regulatory conflict between the county and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. The actual contamination was quite minor, he contends, and was easily contained and repaired, so that no pollutants escaped into the local groundwater.

  County officials won't say, but indutry observers say Waste ManagementInc. is the only potential buyer for the Meacham Road dumsite that meets the criteria set forth in the county's Request for Proposals.

Ken Wells is also among those who would prefer that the county retain ownership of the landfill, perhaps contracting with a private firm to operate it. As the county's waste diversion rate-currently at 64%-goes up even more, the volume of trash going into the dump will contuine to shrink, he predicts. That's part of his overall vision of a long-term future for the facility.

 

Although the Sonoma County dump (seen from the air, above) is no longer accecpting trash, all other services there are continuing. There's a list of them, and related operation, such as local transfer stations, available here.

The most harmful form of mercury is being washed into coastal waters through subsurface groundwater, a new study has found, and at rates far higher than from the air. That research was conducted at two Northern California sites, including Stinson Beach (right) in Marin County.

 

When we hear about mercury levels in fish, the actual compound is a form called mono-methyl mercury. U.C. Santa Cruz biochemist Dr. Adina Paytan (left) explains the difference, and what is known about how it gets converted.

 

Mercury washes out of the atmosphere more of less uniformly, but levels of bacteria in groundwater tend to vary widely. Dr. Paytan points to coastal areas with failing septic systems as likely sources for higher concentrations of subsurface methyl mercury.

While the biochemical conversion process can occur anywhere that mercury exists alongside the active bacteria, researcher Frank Black (standing, right) says the degree to which the methylated mercury is then carried into the ocean water depends a lot on the subsurface geology of a particular area.

Here's a source for background reading on Mercury in the Environment.

If death is thought of as a natural part of the life cycle, why not burial as well? That's the approach being taken by a Marin County cemetery.

The view from the hilltop at Fernwood Cemetery, with the historic gravesite area in the foreground. The newer, natural burial area is downslope and to the left. While the details of natural burial are certainly non-tradition,  manager Kathy Curry says the funeral or memorial services accompanying those burials can be whatever  the deceased of their family want them to be.

For those who are comfortable with the concept of natural burial, Fernwood Cemetery manager Kathy Curry adds that it can be significantly less expensive, too.

You can read a short history of  Fernwood Cemetery here, and locate it on the map below.

Organic farming is hardly a novelty any more in Northern California, but that's only one way this kind of agriculture has changed over the past 30 years.

 Jeff and Annie Mains and their Good Humus Farm in Yolo County are one of the quintet of family farms featured in the new 5-part public radio series, Five Farms. There's more about the series below.

Having spent three decades as an organic farmer, Jeff Mains has seen that business model undergo some big changes, a transformation that leaves his more than a little uneasy.

Flowers, fruit, tomatoes and an array of other brightly colored produce are on display at the Good Humus Farm booth at the Davis Farmers market, which Annie Mains helped establish as a student in the  1970s. 

Counterbalancing the industrialization of organic farming is the mounting interest in sustainability and local sourcing for food. That's what gives Jeff his optimism about the future.

'FIVE FARMS: STORIES FROM
AMERICAN FARM FAMILIES'

Most Americans know little about where their food comes from and even less about the lives of farming families who plant, water, feed, herd, harvest and deliver that food to market. "Five Farms: Stories From American Farm Families" confronts that information gap head on.

This remarkable series of five one-hour documentaries uses compelling first-person storytelling to personalize the lives and work of five farm families in New England, the South, the Midwest, the Southwest and West Coast. By tracking these families for a full year-long cycle of the seasons, "Five Farms" reveals the resiliency of the American farmer and documents what they do to help feed the nation, while being caretakers and conservationists of the lands and resources they use. "Five Farms" profiles people who work hard and make considerable sacrifices, but who can also flourish, and for whom the benefits - including a deep understanding of the land they work - are rich.

William MacLeish introduces each episode of this powerful series, helping listeners make the critical connection between the food on their tables and families who work to produce it.