Responsiveness Summary
Deletion of Surface Soil from National Priorities List
Pacific Coast Pipe Lines Superfund Site

March 2018

Introduction
A Notice of Intent for Partial Deletion for the Pacific Coast Pipe Lines Superfund Site was published in the Federal Register on December 26, 2017 (82 FR 60943-60946). The publication of this notice was intended to inform the public that EPA planned to delete the surface soil portion of the site from the National Priorities List (NPL), and provide a 30-day public comment period on the proposed deletion. The closing date for comments on the Notice of Intent for Partial Deletion was January 25, 2018. Eight written comments were received: five supporting EPA’s decision, two opposing, and one that was not related to the proposed partial deletion. These comments are available in the Information Repositories. All public comments were considered in EPA’s final decision to delete the Site from the NPL.

Responsiveness Summary
The Responsiveness Summary has been prepared to provide responses to comments submitted to EPA during the 30-day public comment period regarding the Notice of Intent to Delete (82 FR 60943-60946) the Pacific Coast Pipe Lines (PCPL) Superfund Site. The original comments are summarized below and available at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-SFUND-1989-0011, with the support materials under document type “Public Submissions”, and at the information repositories at the following addresses:
Superfund Records Center, 75 Hawthorne Street Room 3110, San Francisco, California, Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM; (415) 947-8717.
Site Repository: Fillmore Library, 502 2nd Street, Fillmore, California. Call (805) 5243355 for hours of operation.
Summary of Adverse Comments:
· The soil portion of the site should be kept on the National Priorities List (list of Superfund sites) (two commenters).
· Concerns raised by the commenters include: contaminated soil remains on the property; contaminated soil was disposed on-site in consolidation areas; EPA needs to let the public know where the consolidation areas are and where benzene is in the groundwater; residents could be exposed to contaminated soil in the future because of a natural disaster.

EPA’s Response:
The remedial action objectives and associated cleanup levels established in the Record of Decision Amendment (2011) are intended to protect human health and 2 the environment. Confirmation sampling indicates that all contaminants of concern in the PCPL Site’s soil are below the cleanup levels specified in the ROD Amendment. Although the surface soil still contains low levels of lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at concentrations that EPA does not consider safe for residential use, the surface soil has been cleaned up to a level that allows for commercial and recreational use of the former refinery, which are the permissible future land uses (see further discussion below). Soil containing higher concentrations of contamination were excavated from across the PCPL Site and deposited at a minimum depth of ten feet below ground surface in two on-site consolidation areas that are under multi-layer engineered caps, designed to prevent leaching of contaminants into groundwater. At these depths, the more highly contaminated soil that was found at the PCPL Site is secure and poses no threat to human health or the environment.
· The Final Soil Operation, Maintenance, and Monitoring Plan establishes an inspection, monitoring, and maintenance program and a schedule of activities.
· There are land use covenants to ensure that cap integrity will be maintained and that future use of the property is restricted to commercial and recreational uses.
EPA, DTSC, and Texaco, Inc. developed a land use covenant to restrict the use of the Site. This covenant was recorded at the Ventura County Recorder's Office on August 19, 2016, and “runs with the land,” meaning the restrictions are binding on current and subsequent property owners.
· Because the site is not available for unlimited use or unrestricted exposure, EPA will review the effectiveness of the soil cleanup at the PCPL Site every five years to determine whether the cleanup remains protective of human health and the environment.
· The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) establishes criteria that EPA uses to delete sites from the NPL. In consultation with California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control, EPA has determined that the criterion for delisting the PCPL Site has been met: the responsible party, Texaco, Inc., has implemented all appropriate response actions for surface soil set forth in the 2011 ROD Amendment (which selected the remedy for contaminated soils at the PCPL Site), and no further response action for soil is necessary.
· Deleting the surface soil portion of the PCPL Site from the NPL does not prohibit EPA from taking actions, as appropriate, to protect human health and the environment, including during natural disasters. Nor does it release responsible parties from legal liability for response actions at the PCPL Site that are necessary to protect human health and the environment. All releases deleted from the NPL are eligible for further remedial actions if warranted and, in the event there is a significant release from the surface soil portion of the PCPL Site in the future, EPA can restore it to the NPL.
· The locations of the two plumes of benzene in groundwater and the two consolidation areas are shown in the PCPL Soil Remedial Action Report 2016, Figures 2 and 3, respectively. This report was included in the online deletion docket at Regulations.gov and included in the PCPL Site information repositories as a supporting document. It is also available at the EPA website www.epa.gov/superfund/pacificcoastpipeline under Site Documents & Data. The 3 groundwater cleanup continues at the PCPL Site and is not affected by this partial deletion.
. Summary of Supportive Comments:
· Several commenters stated that partial deletion of the soils portion of the PCPL Site could benefit local government and residents by reducing the perceived stigma of a Superfund site designation. The partial deletion could also benefit nearby property values, facilitate recreation activities and access, and provide beneficial reuse opportunities for the community.
· A business leasing the PCPL Site states that reduced liability insurance costs and reduced investor concerns could result from the partial deletion of the PCPL Site.
In addition, one comment received discussed California wildfires and air pollution. It was not considered to be related to the proposed deletion of the PCPL Site.

Bob Crum

"Musket Muzzle Blast" by Bob Crum.
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Exhausted, I am so ready for a three-month vacation in Hawaii. Too much to do when big events happen close together. At such extravaganzas I tend to shoot a ton of photos... as you now know. But unlike film where every push of the shutter button cost money, it costs nothing to delete the crapola. Oops... is crapola a word?

Speaking of words, most emails I receive are technical questions. Occasionally I get taken to the woodshed. Mr. X, who didn't provide his name, wrote a scathing email rebuking me for using the word 'photoing' declaring: “there is no such word in the English language.” Well, there's golf'ing', fish'ing', bowl'ing'... so why not photo'ing'?

Merriam-Webster website reports, in part: “The Merriam-Webster.com dictionary has gotten bigger, this time by over 250 new words and definitions. As always, the expansion of the dictionary mirrors the expansion of the language, and reaches into all the various cubbies and corners of the lexicon.” Mr. X, 'photoing' will be next!

The worst part of his email was saying: “There is no such thing as mermaids. Grow up. I mean REALLY – mermaids??? C'mon man. Anacapa Island eh? Didn't you mean Seals Sea Lions?” I suspect the writer also does not believe in Santa Clause. But about the Photo of the Week, he said: “Nice cannon shot photo.” Thank you, sir!

Cameras! At the Wings over Camarillo air show last year, a Canon camera photographer friend was trying out Sony mirrorless cameras. This year, at the L.A. County air show my friend showed up with 'only' Sonys. Sold all his Canon gear!

His photographic expertise & experience gives credence to his persuasive counsel to seriously consider mirrorless cameras, in particular, Sonys. However, conversion is neither easy or financially palatable. I previously mentioned that you don't just buy a camera, you invest in a system: Camera, lenses & accessories. Accordingly, I have a sizable financial investment in Canon gear & related accessories. Unfortunately, none of it is worth much on the used market. Furthermore, I'm not thrilled with the present lens selection for mirrorless cameras.

Faithful readers know that my main gear, though heavy, is a Canon 7D MarkII and a Tamron 16-300mm lens. It's a great combo for photojournalist's but I'd like to lighten the load. The lens is not available in a Sony E mount or any other brand of mirrorless cameras. If preventable, I'd rather not regress to carrying multiple lenses to cover the same 16-300mm range.

This week's photo of the week, and one other, is again from Moorpark Rotary Club's Civil War reenactment production. These are unique photos because, luck aside, the subject is substantially challenging to capture. Hello burst mode.

At the recent L.A. County air show, aircraft are flying all the time, as expected. Had I shot in burst mode all the time, I'd need a 3TB hard drive to hold all the photos. Muskets fire intermittently so shooting in 'burst' mode is feasible. So I did. The challenge is anticipating exactly when a musket will fire. Missed most times! In these two photos, the photo of the week is photo #5 of 10. The other photo is #8 of 10. I was shooting slow burst... not fast burst which fires off 10 shots per second. Brrrrt... done! At that speed, I would likely miss the capture moment before the camera's buffer filled. Slow burst mode expands the time interval the camera fires. The rest is up to timing... and 'luck'. Be sure to check fillmoregazette.com for color versions of photos.

As always, send your comments, questions or suggestions to bob@fillmoregazette.com

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Los Angeles County residents Patrick Abrahamian (DOB 1/6/70), Michelle Abrahamian (DOB 5/27/71), and Taline Indra (DOB 2/29/80) were each sentenced to prison for their theft of a Bell Canyon home. Patrick Abrahamian was sentenced to 11 years 4 months in prison. Michelle Abrahamian and Taline Indra were each sentenced to 7 years 8 months in prison. In February, the defendants were convicted following a one-month jury trial. The case is the result of an investigation conducted by the District Attorney’s Real Estate Fraud Unit.

In 2012, Patrick Abrahamian approached the 65-year-old victim with an offer to help him negotiate a modification of his mortgage. In return, the victim agreed to move out and lease his home to the Abrahamians while Patrick Abrahamian supposedly negotiated a new mortgage for the victim. At the end of the lease term, the Abrahamians refused to vacate the home. After consulting with an attorney, the victim learned that a notarized grant deed had been recorded conveying his home, as a gift, to Abrahamian’s wife, Michelle Abrahamian. At the time of the offenses, Michelle Abrahamian was a licensed real estate agent.

The deed gifting away the victim’s home was fraudulently notarized by defendant Taline Indra, who is Michelle Abrahamian’s sister. Patrick Abrahamian subsequently impersonated the victim in a lawsuit filed by Abrahamian against the victim’s mortgage lender. This impersonation caused additional false documents to be filed in both the Ventura Superior Court and the County Recorder’s Office. Michelle Abrahamian was found in possession of notary acknowledgments that falsely claimed the victim had appeared before defendant Indra to have his signature notarized.

Judge Michael Lief noted that the sophistication and brazenness of the defendants’ fraudulent scheme “shocked the conscience of the court.” In addition to the prison sentence, each defendant was also fined $500,000 and ordered to pay $189,382 in victim restitution.

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is the public prosecutor for the county’s 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims.

Bob Crum

Faithful readers know that I planned to attend the L.A. air show the past weekend at Fox Airfield in Lancaster. I went but the weather was awful... extremely windy and very cold.

The show began with skydivers bringing forth the U.S. Flag followed by the National Anthem. Next, aerobatics. With pedal-to-the-metal they provided amazing demonstrations in aircraft that seemed to defy gravity. Also, following a speedy aerobatic plane is not only daunting, it often results in neck whiplash. Exactly why I prefer mermaid boudoir photography!

The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor was a show stopper. The U.S. Air Force single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft is a mean, awesome weapon. The combination of vectored thrust, range, and stealth capability makes it the world’s most feared combat aircraft. More later.

Now some provocative photography data: On SD card #1, 1,572 RAW photos. SD card #2, 1,147 RAW photos. Total photos made: 2,572 comprising 48.5GBs of digital data! Whew! That's just for one day! I didn't go on Sunday because of weather & my tush hadn't yet thawed. Of course most photos will be deleted. Then why shoot so many? The answer another day.

If you're thinking that 2,572 photos is excessive, whoa, no doubt you're overlooking the fact that aircraft-especially jets–move faster than a garden slug. Bidda-bing: See it! Bidda-bam: Gone! Only mere seconds for focus lock and compose... two essential ingredients for a successful photo. Also, leading a fast moving airplane to nail the composition is extremely vexing. Don't ask how many aircraft rear-end photos I captured!

I resisted using burst mode for fear that the capture count would triple. Mercy, imagine that! Instead, I fire off a batch of photos in single-shot mode. From the batch, I'll usually end up with 2 or 3 successful captures. More on a warmer day!

In the past, I rented a very heavy Canon 100-300mm “L” lens. Getting older, this time I rented a Tamron 18-400mm lens. Much lighter & longer reach. Speaking of 'reach', many times more is better. On one fly over, the pilot of the F-22 Raptor opened the armament bay doors. I was zoomed out to 120mm as the plane approached. Right as it was overhead I quickly zoomed in to 400mm and BINGO!... captured the interior of the open armament bay. Sweet! It'll be in the photo/video at a later date.

There's a huge difference between photoing propeller and jet aircraft. Because jets fly so fast, I increase the shutter speed to 1/800th of a second to frame-freeze while panning quickly. But shoot a prop plane at that fast shutter speed, and the propellers are frozen making the plane look like it's suspended in the sky on a string! A shutter speed of about 1/120th of a second shows propellers spinning.

The final performance of the show included fly-overs with a Lockheed P-38J Lightning paired with the F-22 Raptor. Awesome! I had just photoed the F-22 Raptor solo thus camera shutter speed was 1/800th of a second. I was so intrigued watching the pair I goofed. I forgot to reset the shutter speed to 1/120th for the P-38J. Yep, unusable photos because the props of the P-38J photos are frozen. So depressing but also so human. Maybe I should consider an assistant like pro golfers have caddies. Anyone interested?

Photo of the week is the F-22 Raptor approaching. See it one second... whoosh... next second gone! That's very fast! Because it was far off, I zoomed to 400mm to get the photo. Happy photoing.

Send your comments, suggestions or questions to: bob@fillmoregazette.com

District Attorney Gregory D. Totten announced today that Franky Magana (DOB 11/12/85), of Santa Paula, was sentenced by Judge Ryan Wright to 47 years to life for gang-related murder. Magana’s co-defendant, Omar Ruiz (DOB 07/27/87), also of Santa Paula, was sentenced to 158 years to life in prison for the same gang-related murder and for assault on a police officer with an assault weapon.

On May 27, 2013, victim Ulises Virto was standing on a street corner in the city of Santa Paula when Magana, Ruiz, and a third unidentified assailant drove up next to Mr. Virto, parked, exited their vehicle and opened fire with three handguns in a gang-motivated attack. Mr. Virto was shot seven times and died at the scene. A Santa Paula Police Department officer intercepted the gunmen as they fled the scene. During the subsequent high-speed chase all three guns and other evidence were tossed from the vehicle. Soon thereafter, the car stopped, and Magana exited, fleeing on foot. The lone police officer pursued Magana on foot and quickly arrested him. Ruiz and the unidentified gunman continued to flee in the vehicle, eventually abandoning it two blocks away and escaping on foot. All three guns and other evidence thrown from the vehicle were forensically matched to Ruiz and Magana as well as to evidence collected at the scene.

On November 7, 2013, Ruiz was tracked by Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies to an address in the city of Camarillo. From within the home, Ruiz watched on a closed-circuit surveillance system as a team of deputies approached the residence. Ruiz fired on the deputies with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle until the gun jammed. After a brief stand-off, Ruiz was taken into custody. No deputies were injured during the assault.

Magana and Ruiz were convicted by a jury of murder and other charges on January 3, 2018.

Fillmore Mayor Manuel Minjares.

Third District Ventura County Supervisor Kelly Long is pleased to announce that Manuel “Manny” Minjares has joined her staff as a Field Representative effective March 5th, 2018. Within this role, he will cover the Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru and Lockwood Valley areas of the district.

Minjares and his wife Susan are long-time residents of Fillmore where they are raising their four children. He is serving his second term on the Fillmore City Council where he is currently the Mayor and sits as Vice Chair of the Ventura County Transportation Commission. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Studies & Planning from California State University Northridge and brings with him a thorough knowledge of local, county, state and federal governmental systems from the perspective of both staff and an elected official. Working most recently as Housing Director for the Turning Point Foundation, Minjares also brings valuable experience in the non-profit sector creating and managing affordable housing projects throughout Ventura County.

“Manny’s experience, education, skills and abilities will be an asset to my office as we continue to serve the constituents of the Third District”, said Supervisor Kelly Long. “I have a great team and Manny will be an incredible addition to my staff.”

The former City of Fillmore Planner and Property Supervisor for the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation also helps coach and officiate youth basketball in Fillmore and believes supporting local youth sports is a great way to give back to the community he loves to serve.

“I am honored to join Supervisor Long’s staff and lend my knowledge and experience to policy issues and to serving the constituents of the third district”, said Minjares. “Public service is a passion of mine and I look forward to making a positive impact for Ventura County.”

Supervisor Long’s staff also consists of Martin Hernandez, who replaces recently retired Paul Grossgold as Chief of Staff, Senior Executive Aide Nancy Phillips and Field Representative Matt Guthrie and who represents the Camarillo, Southeast Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Naval Base Ventura County portions of the district.

Minjares will also be holding satellite office hours for Supervisor Long on alternating Fridays at both the Santa Paula and Fillmore City Halls from 9 am to Noon and Matt Guthrie will hold satellite office hours at Port Hueneme City Hall every other Friday from 10 am to 1 pm. For more information on satellite office hours or to schedule a meeting, please contact Nancy Phillips in Supervisor Long’s District Office at Nancy.Phillips@ventura.org or (805) 654-2276.

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On March 14, 2018, at approximately 10:00 p.m., deputies from the Fillmore Police Department responded to the 900 block of 4th Street in Fillmore for the report of a possible gunshot victim. Upon arrival, deputies discovered a male victim who had been shot multiple times. Deputies provided first aid measures until medical personnel arrived on scene. The victim was subsequently transported to the Ventura County Medical Center where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Detectives from the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit, Sheriff’s Gang Unit and Fillmore Police Station responded to the scene to investigate the crime. In a coordinated effort, numerous interviews were conducted and no arrests have been made at this time. This is an ongoing investigation and the Sheriff’s Office is requesting that anyone with information about this crime contact detectives at the numbers listed below.

Prepared by: Detective Sergeant Carlos Macias
News Release Date:
March 16, 2018
Approved by: Captain Jeff Miller

Resolution 17-18-4 Commending 2017-2018 Girls’ Soccer Team
Trustees recognized the CIF SS Division 7 Champions and approved Resolution 17-18-4 to commemorate their achievement.

Indemnification Agreement between County of Ventura and Fillmore Unified School District
Board approved the indemnification agreement associated with the performance and certain services and function of School Resource Officer.

Memorandum of Agreement between City of Fillmore and Fillmore Unified School District for School Resource Officer
Board approved the Memorandum of Agreement to continue operation of the School Resource Officer Program in the Fillmore Unified School District.

Personnel Recommendations
The Board approved all personnel recommendations including new hires, promotions, resignations, retirements, and leaves.

American Red Cross of Ventura County

Though spring has officially arrived, the American Red Cross blood supply is still recovering from severe winter storms in March. Donors of all blood types are urged to roll up a sleeve and help save lives.

Winter weather in parts of the country forced more than 270 blood drives to cancel, resulting in over 9,500 uncollected blood and platelet donations in the first two weeks of March. No matter the weather, the need for blood to help cancer patients, those undergoing surgeries, trauma patients and others remains.

Volunteer blood donors from across the country are needed to help ensure lifesaving blood products are available for patients this spring. Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities March 20 to April 15

Ventura

Camarillo
4/3/2018: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m., Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4345 Las Posas Road

Moorpark
4/2/2018: 12 p.m. - 6 p.m., Moorpark Chamber of Commerce, 18 E. High St
4/5/2018: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Kahn Media, Inc., 11988 Challenger Ct.

Oxnard
3/22/2018: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Oxnard High School, 3400 W Gonzales Rd

Simi Valley
3/23/2018: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Rancho Santa Suzanna Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles Ave
3/28/2018: 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., Simi Valley High School, 5400 Cochran Street
3/30/2018: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Rancho Santa Suzanna Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles Ave
4/13/2018: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Rancho Santa Suzanna Community Center, 5005-C Los Angeles Ave

Thousand Oaks
3/21/2018: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
3/26/2018: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
3/28/2018: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
4/2/2018: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
4/11/2018: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Thousand Oaks Inn, 75 W Thousand Oaks Blvd
4/11/2018: 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Thousand Oaks High School, 2323 N Moorpark Rd

Ventura
3/20/2018: 11:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Knights of Columbus, 36 S. Figueroa St.
3/20/2018: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Ventura College, 4667 Telegraph Road

Westlake Village
3/21/2018: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Guitar Center Corporate Center, 5795 Lindero Canyon Rd.
4/3/2018: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Farmers Insurance, 31051 Agoura Rd

How to donate blood
Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass® to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.

Volunteers needed
Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross is to become a volunteer transportation specialist and deliver lifesaving blood products to local area hospitals. Volunteer transportation specialists play a very important role in ensuring an ample blood supply for patients in need by transporting blood and blood products. For more information and to apply for a volunteer transportation specialist position, visit rdcrss.org/driver.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit RedCross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.