Anderson Valley fire chief Colin Wilson told a Measure B forum Tuesday night (April 29) that the leading insurance investigator for this region told him that 40% of all structure fires in Mendocino County are caused by indoor marijuana growing operations.
Wilson told the forum that several fire department chiefs believe the figure is too low. Wilson described how recent fires in Anderson Valley from marijuana growing burned not only the grower's property but spread to neighbors' buildings.
Another example of the problem took place on July 23, 2007 when a grower's improperly-installed generator started a fire on Walker Road just south of Willits. Little Lake Fire Department responded and discovered over 300 plants and a whole room full of processed marijuana. They also discovered that the generator fuel supply had been leaking diesel into the ground, eventually requiring removal of 18 cubic yards of contaminated soil.
A sheriff's deputy was called and the grower displayed 19 medical marijuana "caregiver" cards to justify his huge growing operation. After calling his supervisor for instructions, the deputy left without making an arrest or seizure.
This incident is cited by the Yes on B Coalition as an illustration of the countywide crisis in public protection against harmful impacts of commercial marijuana growing. Measure B will provide a voter mandate to law enforcement to stop allowing fraudulent use of the compassionate medical marijuana program as a cover for abusive growing practices.
At the Tuesday forum, fire chief Colin Wilson also criticized the lack of support from marijuana growers for public services like fire protection, since they generally pay no income or sales tax, while they disproportionately utilize fire protection services.
Wilson stated his support for Measure B. Also participating in the forum in support of Measure B were John McCowen, Ukiah City Councilman, and Karin Wandrei, director of the Mendocino County Youth Project. Representing No on B were Pebbles Trippet, a marijuana grower, Keith Faulder, a marijuana defense lawyer, and Dr. William Courtney, a doctor who makes medical marijuana recommendations.
The forum was sponsored by the Anderson Valley Community Action Coalition, a group which complained to the Board of Supervisors on July 13, 2007 that "Currently we have a property adjacent to our elementary school on which medical marijuana is growing right up against the fence. While we support the rights of patients to use medical marijuana, we don't support it at the expense of the rights of our youth to attend school in a drug-free environment."
For more information on Measure B, visit www.YesOnBCoalition.org
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