Monterey Bay Matters

– August 21, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Kim DeSerpa on KSCO

From Becky Steinbruner

Friday’s Guest on “Community Matters” (2pm-3pm Pacific Time) is Santa Cruz County Second District County Supervisor Ms. Kim DeSerpa.

What are the challenges facing the Aptos, Capitola, Corralitos and Watsonville areas she represents?
What is the latest news on the “Village on the Green” project in Aptos, with two apartment buildings six stories tall and nearly 200 three-story townhomes?
What are her thoughts on regulating battery energy storage (BESS) facilities?

Listen in! Calls will be accepted at the discretion of Supervisor DeSerpa.

You can listen live on KSCO Radio AM 1080 or live stream: http://www.ksco.com/

The program will be recorded and posted on the KSCO website:
http://zbsradio.com/play-episode/id/24961/play-time/1

– NRC proposes changes to radiation protection standards; webinar August 19, including how to comment

Zoom link with registration https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/LIz4c3XHSle1soKZisRrFA

Protect Better Webinar 2

August 19 | 8-9:30 PM Eastern / 5-7:30 PM Pacific

The science
The health consequences
The legal implications
How YOU can submit a public comment

Zoom link with registration https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/LIz4c3XHSle1soKZisRrFA

– – –

Public comments to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are due August 31.

What kind of world are we leaving our children?

As parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, and loved ones, we have a responsibility to protect those who cannot speak for themselves — and those who aren’t even here yet.

The NRC is proposing changes to radiation protection standards that could affect how radiation risks are evaluated and how well workers and communities are protected.

Our children and future generations deserve better protection, not weaker standards.

For our kids. For our grandchildren. For generations we will never meet.

Sponsored by the ProtectBetter campaign of the Stop Radiation Pollution Coalition.
Protectbetter.org

– Eight former CSUMB students or spouses report cancer diagnoses near Fort Ord’s toxic industrial zone

From Military Poisons
August 11, 2026
by Pat Elder

New cancer cases at Promontory Housing spark investigation into nearby military contamination.

Blood Cancer Cases

An individual referred to as Caleb diagnosed with lymphoma.
An additional student with a lymphoma diagnosis.
A former student who passed away from multiple myeloma at age 57
A student who was diagnosed with leukemia while residing in the area.
A second report of leukemia involving the son of a community member

Breast Cancer Cases

A local resident and former student who passed away from breast cancer at age 37.
A student diagnosed with breast cancer.

Ovarian Cancer

A former student diagnosed with ovarian cancer alongside multiple medical complications.
See Julie Akey’s database of more than 2,000 people who suffer with disease or are deceased and lived on the former Fort Ord or on lands there were later developed.

The Promontory Apartment student housing complex at the California State University, Monterey Bay was built adjacent to severely contaminated land.

Within roughly a third of a mile of today’s apartments stood a dangerous concentration of Army facilities that handled herbicides, chlorinated solvents, medical waste, petroleum products, pesticides, and electrical equipment.

Two students who lived at Promontory have been diagnosed with lymphoma, leading us to search for potential causes nearby.

In August 2015, California State University, Monterey Bay opened the Promontory Apartments. The complex consists of three four-story apartment buildings containing approximately 174 apartment units and 579 student beds, later expanded to approximately 789 beds. It was the university’s first new student housing project in more than a decade and today houses hundreds of upper-division students immediately adjacent to the former industrial core of Fort Ord.

They put it in a horrible location. Students and their parents are unaware that they are just footsteps from the potentially dangerous toxic epicenter of former Fort Ord.

– Leukemia case reported at California State University, Monterey Bay; student lived in former Fort Ord barracks

From Military Poisons

By Pat Elder

Student residences at CSUMB are situated above portions of the former Fort Ord, where chlorinated solvent plumes remain in the subsurface and questions have been raised about potential vapor intrusion into occupied buildings.

This report examines the environmental conditions surrounding one former California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) student, who was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia after attending the university.

‍To protect the privacy of the student and his family, we use the pseudonym “Caleb” throughout this report.

‍Caleb has been battling T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia. During his first year at California State University, Monterey Bay, he lived in one of the former Fort Ord brick barracks near the Student Union. As a transfer student, he attended CSUMB for two years. During his second year, he moved into Promontory Housing on 8th Street near Imjin Parkway.

Caleb was physically active and played intramural sports on the recreation sports field behind the promontory building, north of North Quad past 5th Ave. Because he both lived and recreated in these locations, understanding the environmental conditions in these areas is essential to evaluating the range of potential chemical exposures he may have experienced.

We know that Trichloroethylene, (TCE), Tetrachloroethylene, (PCE), and Vinyl Chloride (VC) levels in groundwater A-aquifer and Upper 180-foot were above criteria in 2014 and remain prevalent in 4th quarter 2025 in the area that includes the Promontory Housing where Caleb lived for 2 years. Tables 1A and 1B from document OU2-752 Fourth Quarter 2025 Groundwater Monitoring and Treatment System Report summarizes the current levels of PCE, TCE and VC in the two groundwater aquifers underlying Promontory Housing.

– What scientists are observing at Moss Landing Vistra battery fire areas – Aug. 14, 6 PM

From Becky Steinbruner:

“Bratton on KSCO”
August 14
6pm-7pm Pacific Time

Last Friday, several scientists studying the impacts of the Moss Landing Vistra Battery Fire presented information about their studies. We will discuss this. What are they learning? How does their research compare with that of Vistra’s consultant, Terraphase?

https://elkhornslough.org/moss-landing-battery-fire/

Take a look at the presentation given to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors: EMBER update to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, presented by Kerstin Wasson 3/17/2026 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6rnZ2iwL00

Find information about the important work of Never Again Moss Landing here: https://neveragainmosslanding.org/resources/

Listen live on KSCO AM 1080 radio or live stream http://www.ksco.com/
Please call in and join the conversation: 831-479=1080

The Program will be recorded and posted on the “Bratton on KSCO” webpage: http://zbsradio.com/show_detail/id/126

– Interview with Orin Martin of Alan Chadwick Gardens at UCSC – Aug. 14, 2 PM

From Becky Steinbruner:

“Community Matters” KSCO AM 1080
August 14
2pm-3pm Pacific Time

My Guest will be Mr. Orin Martin, Manager of the Alan Chadwick Garden at UCSC Agroecology Farm.

He has managed the Garden for a very long time. What is the history of the Garden? Has he observed changes in growing various crops, especially apples (given recent statements from Martinelli Co. explaining unreliable fruit quality from Pajaro Valley orchards as the reason for cancelling contracts with local growers.)?

>> Listen live on KSCO Radio AM 1080 today at 2pm, or live stream http://www.ksco.com/

The program will be recorded and posted here soon after the interview:
http://zbsradio.com/play-episode/id/24961/play-time/1

– Moss Landing Battery Fire Science Symposium, August 7

From Elkhorn Slough

Updated August 19, 2026

Moss Landing Battery Fire Science Symposium

Complete video recording playlist

Presentation abstracts, titles and links to specific recordings

7 August 2026 • 9 am to 4 pm

Join us for a public symposium with presentations from scientists studying the impacts of the 2025 fire at the Vistra battery storage facility in Moss Landing.

In-person attendance is sold out.
Please register to attend by Zoom at this link.

Presenters from EMBER will speak about metal concentrations in soils, water, and animals in Elkhorn Slough. Researchers from UCSC will report on metal concentrations in human hair and in dust and insects near residences, comparing values from areas near vs. far from the battery fire site. There will also be invited presentations from other researchers studying the fire. The presentations will be fairly technical but take-home messages will be summarized simply, and there will be ample time for questions from the audience. We also anticipate at least one panel discussion about lessons learned.

Here are the agenda and presentation abstracts.

This symposium is hosted by EMBER (Estuary Monitoring of Battery Emissions and Residues resulting from the Moss Landing Battery Fire), with support from all partnering organizations – Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Elkhorn Slough Reserve and Foundation, Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory, Amah Mutsun Land Trust, and Monterey Bay Aquarium.

More about the Moss Landing Battery Fire and EMBER.

https://elkhornslough.org/reserve/research/firesymposium

– July 31 KSCO shows : Deficient Moss Landing battery fire report; new Scotts Valley fees for traffic accidents

From Becky Steinbruner —

On KSCO 1080 AM

COMMUNITY MATTERS 2 – 3 PM, Friday

My Guest is Scotts Valley Fire Chief Mark Correira, discussing the new policy Scotts Valley Fire District has implemented to collect fees from motorists at fault of vehicle accidents where the Fire responders provide service.

The district has signed an agreement with Fire Recovery USA, one of several firms that bill insurance companies for emergency services. Many auto policies include coverage for these services as part of their standard policy. When the Fire District responds to an auto accident and provide services, the responsible party’s insurance is billed for those services.

Services range from basic scene management (blocking traffic to prevent secondary incidents and applying absorbent for fluid spills) to more intensive operations such as vehicle extrication using hydraulic rescue tools. The billing rates are based on national averages and range from $618 to $1,859 depending on the level of service provided. Most insurance companies process these claims routinely without question. The Fire District can also charge for helicopter landing zone services and additional hourly rates for extended incidents.
The Fire District staff coordinate with law enforcement to determine fault. While this is usually straightforward, for more complex cases they obtain an involved driver’s insurance information and let Fire Recovery USA handle the claims process.

This is a cost recovery program. According to Scotts Valley Fire Chief Correira, “this program is well-established in other parts of the country and is gaining popularity, which is why multiple companies provide this service. It’s new to our area, with SVFPD being the first in the county to implement it. Hollister Fire is the next closest agency using this approach.“

If there is time, we also will discuss the new developer fee to fund added emergency response within the City of Scotts Valley.

BRATTON ON KSCO 6 – 7 PM Friday

Hosted by Becky Steinbruner

Guest Brian Roeder from Never Again Moss Landing will discuss the shocking and woefully-inadequate July 29 document released by the County of Monterey regarding assessment of the 2025 Vistra Battery Fire in Moss Landing.

On July 29, the County’s Environmental Health Bureau released its final, 343-page Preliminary Environmental Assessment report. The report examined whether the Moss Landing battery fire left off-site contamination posing long-term risks to people or the environment by analyzing nearby soils, sediments and surface waters.

In short, the report—prepared by Vistra’s environmental consultant Terraphase Engineering Inc.—found the samples did not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.

“There is no hesitancy on the Environmental Health Bureau standing by this report,” said Ric Encarnacion, bureau chief and director of environmental health with the County during a July 29 news briefing. “It was highly coordinated. A lot of experts in the room at the state agency levels, and holding Vistra accountable in this report.”
*****************
Both of these programs should be very interesting, and I hope listeners will tune in tomorrow!

Please call in with comments and questions to the KSCO Radio Studio :
831-479-1080.

Programs are recorded and available on KSCO’s archives at http://zbsradio.com/shows

– AT&T landline discontinuance approved but contested by multiple parties in FCC filings

Updated 8-17-26

On June 29, 2026, the FCC automatically granted AT&T’s applications to discontinue residential and business landlines in many California communities, despite many public comments opposing this move from AT&T customers and local officials. The proceedings are 26-120 and 26-121. Comments can be viewed by typing in the proceeding numbers on this page, clicking on the proceeding name that comes up, and clicking “search” at the bottom of the page.

The automatic approval was by the FCC Wireline Competition Bureau.

Three documents have been filed to the FCC, protesting the Bureau’s decision.

On July 28, Nina Beety filed a Petition for Reconsideration (Petition, Exhibit A, Exhibit B).
On August 7, AT&T filed an Opposition to her Petition for Reconsideration.
On August 14, she filed a Reply to AT&T’s Opposition.

On July 29, the California Public Utilities Commission filed an Application for Review.

From the CPUC’s Application for Review (p. 2):

That we seek review not of the Bureau’s words but of its silence demonstrates both the unusual nature of this proceeding and the harm that the Bureau’s non-action has worked on the many commenters who opposed AT&T’s applications. As a policy matter, the Bureau has left the CPUC, California, and the hundreds of thousands of affected customers with no explanation of why these applications were granted despite the critical public health and safety questions that discontinuance poses. And as a legal matter, the Bureau’s silence prejudices our attempt to seek review. The Commission’s rules specify, for example, that applications for review should refer to the Bureau’s “findings of fact or conclusions of law,” and “shall state with particularity the respects in which the action taken by the designated authority should be changed.” Without something—anything—from the Bureau, how could anyone do so? As another example, applications for review shall “specify with particularity” the grounds for review, including where the Bureau made “[a]n erroneous finding as to an important or material question of fact.” How could we know? We are left arguing with a ghost.

In a separate filing July 29, the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), the Utility Reform Network (TURN), and the Communication Workers of America (CWA) filed a joint Application for Review.

On August 14, AT&T filed a joint Opposition to the AFRs.

On October 5, N. Albert, a telecommunications consultant, filed ex parte comments opposing AT&T discontinuance — highly recommended. This commenter has filed in-depth, easy to understand letters in this and other proceedings, contesting industry arguments with detailed evidence.

To be continued….

– Candidate filing period for the November election is open

The candidate filing period for elective offices in the November 3, 2026, General Election opened Monday, July 13, 2026.

Candidate forms will be available only during the official filing period and must be completed and submitted by the deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026.

Santa Cruz County Elections:

Candidate filing services will be available at two locations:

— Walk in: 701 Ocean St, Room 310, Santa Cruz
— By appointment only (Tuesdays and Thursdays) until August 6: 500 Westridge Dr, Watsonville. To book an appointment at our Watsonville location please call 454-2423 or 454-3528 or book your appointment online using this booking calendar.

Please call our office prior to arriving at our Santa Cruz office or to your Watsonville appointment to ensure you have all the necessary documents.

Candidate Resources and Forms

None of the offices on the November 3, 2026 Statewide General Election ballot have a nomination requirement, so all you need to do is come to our office where you will bring in (or complete in our office), the below documents. Our office will review them and then we will prepare your Declaration of Candidacy. On it you will confirm your name is spelled correctly, we have all the correct information, you will state your qualifications to run for office, and you will take an oath to officially become a candidate.

Below is the list of important resources as well as the documents you may need to complete when you file to be a candidate. Each form is named and has a brief description of what it is used for and why you may need to complete it as part of your candidate journey.

Candidate Checklist – This is a list for you to use to ensure you keep track of the documents that need to be filed in order to become a candidate.
Candidate Manual – This manual has a ton of information on becoming a candidate. It describes what you need to file, what is a candidate statement, campaign finance, and so much more!
Candidate Information Forums – This flyer lists the dates, times and locations for the candidate information forums being held this month. The local city clerk is co-hosting the city council forums. Attend one or all of them!

FPPC forms for candidates: [These forms may be required in every county]

Form 410 – This form organizes a campaign committee. It is filed with the California Secretary of State.
Form 460 – This form is what campaign committees file according to the campaign finance filing schedule.
Form 470 – This form must be filled out by candidates that are not creating a campaign committee.
Form 501 – All candidates need to fill out this form – it is your intention to run for office. It needs to be filled out each election.
Form 700 – All candidates need to fill out this form – it lists your economic interests. If you are a current Form 700 filer with the County of Santa Cruz, please let us know and we can allow you to file online through your existing login.

Ballot Designation Worksheet – Your ballot designation is the up to three words that list your principal profession, occupation or vocation. It appears on the ballot under your name. This worksheet is where you list your preferred designation and two alternates. You need to justify why you can use that designation. For example: Teacher/Parent is the ballot designation.The justification would be – I have taught third grade at Boardwalk School since 2010. Call Paula Principal at 831-555-5555 for verification. I became a parent in 2004 when my daughter was born. Call Other Parent at 831-444-4444. There are questions to answer and a place for you to sign on page 2 of the worksheet.

Candidate Statement Agreements:

Local – This agreement needs to be signed and filed with your 200 (or less) word candidate statement of qualifications. This is for local candidates running for supervisor, school or special district offices.
State – This agreement needs to be signed and filed with your 250 (or less) word candidate statement of qualifications. This is for candidates running for Congressional or Assembly offices.

*** Please note, if you are planning on submitting a Candidate Statement you must file it at the same time you sign your Declaration of Candidacy. The statement cannot be filed after. ***

Internet Waiver – We will automatically post on our website your name and the office you are running for. If you would like us to list contact information such as website, email, phone number, or address, you will grant us permission to post that information.

Code of Fair Campaign Practices – This optional form pledges that you will run a decent, fair and honest campaign.

Political Signs – If you are planning on having campaign signs, you must register with the CA Department of Transportation. The County does not set the regulations for political signs. Click here for information and the required forms.

Other Forms – Statement of qualifications (some offices), voter registration confidentiality and next steps. Each of these forms will be prepared by our office at the time of filing.

https://votescount.santacruzcountyca.gov/Default.aspx?TabID=12099

County of Monterey Elections:

Monterey County Elections Department, 1441 Schilling Place – North Building, Salinas, CA.
Official nomination documents will be available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., during the filing period

Candidates seeking a city office must file their nomination documents with the
appropriate City Clerk.

In addition to candidate filing services at the Monterey County Elections Office throughout the filing period:
Candidate Filing appointments will be available at the following locations during the specified dates between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

— Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at Castroville Library, 11160 Speegle St., Castroville
— Thursday, July 30, 2026, at Carmel Valley Library, 65 W. Carmel Valley Rd, Carmel Valley
— Friday, July 31, 2026, at King City Library, 402 Broadway St., King City

Interested candidates should schedule an appointment via email at
CandidateServices@countyofmonterey.gov or by phone (831) 796-1499.
Monterey County Candidate Guidelines, with information on which offices are up for election and requirements, are available at www.CountyofMonterey.gov/Elections.
https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/147061/639192691019570000

San Benito County Elections:

Interested in Running for Office?

In general, all candidates for elected office must meet the following requirement:

Registered to vote at an address within the jurisdiction of the office. For example County Supervisors must reside within the boundaries of the district for which they are running; the Mayor of Hollister must reside within the city limits.

Some elected offices have specific qualifications for candidates. If an office has specific qualifications, click the link next to the office titled “Qualifications” to learn more. If there are no specific qualifications, the link will not be displayed.

You may view our complete Candidate Handbook here.

You can pre-register for your candidate filing paperwork here.

You may see upcoming candidate filing events (deadlines) below, or you may download a PDF version of the Candidate nomination summary calendar of events.

https://www.sanbenitocounty-ca-cre.gov/elections/candidates-campaigns/november-3-2026-statewide-general-election