Gregory Canyon battle enters 18th year

Eighteen years ago Gregory Canyon was proposed for a landfill on a 1,770-acre site at the foot of Gregory Mountain just south of Highway 76 and three miles east of Interstate 15.

Today, despite rhetoric on both sides, proponents and opponents of the project are unable to say with any certainty when – or even if – the landfill will ever be built. One thing is certain: huge financial profits and serious environmental concerns remain the driving forces fueling this continuing battle.

County officials have been working since last August reviewing the latest Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and will eventually attempt to answer critics of the EIR who cite a variety of concerns that appear not to have been adequately addressed in that document.

The revised EIR is the result of a lawsuit filed in 2004 against Gregory Canyon, Ltd. and the county’s Director of Environmental Health, Gary Erbeck, who claimed the original EIR was faulty and inadequate. A May ruling by Judge Michael Anello required the developer to re-work portions of the EIR concerning traffic, mitigation issues and water supply.

Plaintiffs are appealing those issues Judge Anello left unchanged. The Pala Band of Mission Indians, the city of Oceanside and the environmental group RiverWatch were the plaintiffs to the lawsuit.

A variety of other court cases and ballot measures have brought attention to the issues and effectively delayed progress on the landfill.

Proponents of the landfill predict a growing need for landfills for the county’s garbage. Gregory Canyon, Ltd. claims an advanced liner system will keep pollutants from contaminating groundwater and mitigation efforts will balance out any adverse environmental consequences of a landfill.

Opponents such as RiverWatch claim placing a landfill in a gorge at the foot of Gregory Mountain is a threat to the river and underground aquifer and that it will be a degradation of the overall environment and quality of life of local residents.

Attorney Ted Griswold, representing the Pala Band of Mission Indians, said the recent devastating liner break at the Las Pulgas landfill on Camp Pendleton, touted as a “state-of-the-art landfill that wasn’t going to leak,” proves “all liners leak.”

Many proposed developments along Highway 76 continue to multiply and present new threats to the environment. One such project is the proposed quarry at Rosemary’s Mountain on Highway 76.

After many years and several lawsuits, the developers (Hal Jensen/Granite Corporation) have obtained most permits and are in discussions with Caltrans to straighten and widen the highway serving the quarry. To date, however, “nothing formally appears to have been decided concerning the highway,” said Sheila Manning, president of RiverWatch.

According to Manning, “As new threats to the environment in the San Luis Rey Watershed continue to grow, so too has the membership and support of RiverWatch over the years. We have been blessed with cooperation from County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price, the local planning groups, the Pala Band of Indians and brilliant attorneys.

“We will continue to meet and raise funds in support of preserving the quality of our environment and will continue to recruit and welcome those who believe in working and fighting for these goals.”

Both landfill proponents and opponents await feedback on the revised EIR. However, on one thing everyone agrees: the battle will go on.