UPDATE: PINE MOUNTAIN (June 21, 2011 at 6:28 p.m.)—We have learned that members of the public have been calling the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and Supervisor Ray Watson on this matter, as has The Mountain Enterprise. PMCPOA Manager Rory Worster writes about his experience with the green waste permit extension:

"We had a permit for the 2011 calendar year which included 139 hours of operation for our tub grinder. We were unable to get an extension over the last couple of months. I believe this was because we never got to the right folks.

"When we got assistance with locating the right people to talk to, the process was moved right along. We did ask for help from Assemblywoman Shannon Grove’s office, and Supervisor Ray Watson. Both assisted us in getting our story heard and then acted upon.

"My hat goes off to all these folks, especially Leonard Scandura of the SJVAPCD who worked [quickly] to determine the pertinent facts and extraordinary circumstances PMCPOA found ourselves in and then granted our request for an extension.

"We will be back in business as of 6-22-11 at 7 a.m. and should be good for the rest of the year."
 

PINE MOUNTAIN (June 21, 2011 at 3:50 p.m.)—The green waste chipper at the Pine Mountain Club Property Owners Association (PMCPOA) will be open again tomorrow. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has amended the permit to extend the number of hours it may be run this year.

PMC Manager Rory Worster said SJVAPCD responded within 48 hours of the request submitted by the POA. The Mountain Enterprise also called the air pollution control district and Kern County Supervisor Ray Watson’s office following letters from numerous members of the public complaining about the closing of the green waste section of the PMC transfer site.

The major damage caused to trees by the springtime blizzard, plus the need for fire clearance of properties, converged to cause the deisel-fueled chipper motor to be run more hours this year than ever before, using up the allocated annual hours.

The extension, "will be enough to finish out the year," Worster said.

This is part of the June 17, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.