To the Editor,
“As the nation’s largest public utility, we are held to a high level of review and scrutiny. We must be a transparent organization that is accountable to its customers and the communities it serves,” stated DWP General Manager Ron Nichols. “We must also be thoughtful and methodical as we balance our environmental responsibilities and the needs of our electric and water customers for reliable and affordable service. If given the opportunity to lead the organization, this balance, and this transparency will be my top priorities.”
In this statement quoted from LADWP’s Dec 20, 2010 news release announcing his appointment as General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Ron Nichols should be reminded of his words and how they are void of any real expectation of a friendly expression, of any conciliatory empathetic recognition of the history of the DWP that would impact the job that he was taking on. This statement interestingly did not speak about the recognition of the coming Centennial of the Aqueduct , of the future challenges of 2 years of drought that have occurred. We have seen his management style, the way that he has dealt with Owens Lake Dust mitigation, Blackrock, as an example and now the current dysfunctional Solar Ranch Project. These problems and DWP’s management style of delay, lawyers , ignoring agreements and not working with the environment nor the community are his solution to the DWP being “thoughtful and methodical as we balance our environmental responsibilities and the needs of our electric and water customers.”
Yesterday in Los Angeles there was another meeting for the Solar Ranch DEIR comment period thanks to Les Inafuku’s suggestion of a meeting in Los Angeles. Mr. Inafuku, the Mazanar Superintendent, made the request to allow the Japanese-American community the opportunity to be heard. Ron Nichols made an opening statement about DWP, it’s efforts and needs to transition energy generation to renewable energy and he was in attendance, to his credit, during the entire public comment portion of the meeting.
The meeting was attended by about 75 people from both Los Angeles and the Owens Valley. Chuck Holloway of the DWP gave an overview presentation of the project identical to his Sept 25th presentation in Bishop to begin the meeting. He also announced that the public comment period for the Project has been extended till November 26, 2013.
The tone in the room became heartfelt and emotional with the very first pubic speaker , a young Japanese American woman who spoke of her Grandparents and her family being interned. Another Grand Daughter also spoke about her stories, that she had never heard or understood about her family, until she had come and spent time at Manzanar. The public statements, 29 in all, were all heartfelt and emotionally based, not a lot of anger, but stories of the pain. Speakers from Owens Valley with also their heartfelt expressions of opposition were witness and contributors to the message and the feeling that accompanies such shared stories. There were some amazing succinct statements by wonderful speakers who were to use words that clearly expressed what the Manzanar experience and what the Owens Valley was all about . One person spoke of Manzanar as being a premiere American Civil Rights Historic Site, not just to honor those interned, but to remind us of who and what America is and really all about . This powerful characterization of the meaning of this Historic Site, it’s ongoing and evolving importance in our cultural bread basket nation of freedom lovers and defenders, really left an impression. At the end of the meeting their were two more requests to speak. Both of these older Japanese American Men had been Internees at Manzanar. Their presence and words could not have been scripted better.
The meeting closed and Ron Nichols had disappeared. He did not stay and speak to anyone. In afterthought, why I wondered would he not speak with a 90 year old former Internee, shake his hand, thank him for his words and sharing his story. Mr. Nichols in his responsibility for an infrastructure of the nation’s largest public owned utility left the room and left an opportunity to humanize his bureaucracy. He left the meeting and left standing cold the hard fact, that he has a DWP so large, so out of control that he had to get back to it or that he’s just plain insensitive to the community. His job is water and power for millions and that dictates his sense of balance. Environmental responsibilities do not have a lot to do with the critters, the plants, the landscape ,the view shed, cultural Issues , social impacts and so on. Environmental responsibilities seem to be merely the impediments and the laws that he is required to navigate his Organization through to merely keep the lights on and the water tap flowing . He’s tapped right in to being the man at the wheel of the perfect machine of peoples’ indifference to the environment, an ill informed and unconscienable consumer mentality of our resources on our Earth and in Our Valley.
Offensive and insulting?
I am simply pro alternative energy and do not think it will do the Owens Valley much harm.
And as for the Manzanar people objecting, it doesn’t make sense to me. =
DT , Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. How much and what we see is the a gift of vision. Our mental emotional responses are our humanity, the most important and biggest part of the whole of our existence, our egos including my own aside. MJA, I am… Read more »
Just because I don’t see monsters in the closet doesn’t mean there really are monsters in the closet. You are investing a lot more fantasy and imagination than needs to be invested. After it’s built — and I hope it is built — you will have to tell visitors to… Read more »
Thanks B, But then as for visuals, the highway and the fuel burning carbon polluting traffic is not only visual, but noisy, and smelly too. Are the people against the solar ranch against the highway too? =
That is a false argument MJA, I assume by your statement that you are pro-Manzanar solar project. the highway and cars are already there so we do not have a choice where they are concerned. Another reason your statement is faulty is because you are using a comparison that has… Read more »
Looking at Manzanar with Google Maps, one can see that the main building there has solar panels on it — a lot of them. Also, to see the LADWP site, you have to look through the cars and motor homes in the parking lot directly in front. And the question… Read more »
Inyo County is concerned about dust during the construction period.
BK
Most construction sites I’ve seen use water trucks to wet down the site to keep the dust down. They don’t want their guys to get sick breathing dust. It’s not clear how much more, if any more dust, would be caused by construction. Further, does that mean all construction in… Read more »
No, it has to keep the dust down.
BK
This angst is based on uninformed emotion. Drive down Hwy 14 to Hwy 138 and head west past the western edge of Lancaster. You will see two solar sites, one on each side of Hwy 138 that are of the type the DWP proposes. They are not the eyesores they… Read more »
Desert Tortoise, I was feeling like you are, until I heard something about lighting. I oppose any facility that will be lit at night. I have not had it confirmed that they propose lighting either during construction or permanently afterwords. Any lighting = no go! I can understand the need… Read more »
I don’t understand. Is the proposed solar ranch going to be built on the Manzanar site? Thanks, =
The site is across the highway and east of the river, visible from Manzanar and on the old Manzanar dump site.
BK
“thoughtful and methodical as we balance our environmental responsibilities and the needs of our electric and water customers.” Are You Joking??? “The meeting closed and Ron Nichols had disappeared. He did not stay and speak to anyone. In afterthought, why I wondered would he not speak with a 90 year… Read more »
Ron- please shut up!
One of the best letters to any editor I’ve ever read!! Excellent!!
Bravo Philip Anaya!!
Sad, sad state of affaires. I wish we could make it stop.