PG&E power outages have been a consistent problem for residents in El Dorado County. PG&E has been taking further action to mitigate the risk of wildfire ignitions coming from overhead electrical equipment. Over the last year, PG&E has developed and implemented a system they call Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS), which has greatly increased the sensitivity of the protective equipment which will now de-energize a circuit within one-tenth of a second when a fault is detected. In El Dorado County, recent outages have been caused by things like vegetation or animal contact with sensitive PG&E equipment. While disruptive and inconvenient for customers, PG&E maintains that this new fire mitigation tactic has resulted in an 80% decrease in wildfire ignitions from enabled circuits. PG&E has enabled EPSS on nearly all circuits within High Fire Threat Districts. For concerns about wildfire safety, contact PG&E directly at 1-800-743-5000 or email wildfiresafety@pge.com.

Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) Webinar

Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings (EPSS) Slideshow

Learn more about EPSS from PG&E

Supervisor Turnboo has been working hard to ensure that Grizzly Flats gets what is needed to rebuild a vibrant community. He has worked diligently to help the El Dorado Water Agency and the El Dorado and Georgetown Resource Conservation Districts receive $1.875 million from the U.S. Department of the Interior to help ensure that Grizzly Flats has a safe and reliable water supply as they recover from the Caldor Fire.

The El Dorado County (EDC) and the Sacramento, Placer and Yolo-Solano air districts have recently been awarded two Targeted Airshed Grants (TAG) from US EPA to reduce emissions of fine particulate matter (PM) in the region. The second of these two awards will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for consideration on 8/16/22. The TAG grants will fund several projects. One of those projects is the paving of nine unpaved road sections in EDC. The work will be performed by EDC Department of Transportation.

Road dust accounts for 6% of directly emitted PM 2.5 (less than 2.5 microns in size) in the region. While overall the US has some of the lowest PM levels of any developed country, certain areas including the Sacramento region do have high levels on occasion. Several adverse health effects are associated with exposure to PM including heart and lung related conditions. PM exposure primarily affects infants, children and older adults with preexisting heart or lung diseases.

The roads selected to be paved are those with the highest Average Daily Traffic (ADT) counts. The roads and the fiscal years (July-June) in which the paving was completed or is planned are:

Oriental Street 21/22

Tullis Mine, South Street and Bear Creek Road 22/23

Sand Ridge, Sweeney and Luneman Roads 23/24

Mt. Murphy and Russell Hollow Roads 24/25

The paving of these roads will result in annual PM 2.5 emission reductions of 42 tons and lifetime PM 2.5 emission reductions of 293 tons. The sections of Oriental and Bear Creek Roads to be paved lie within Naturally Occurring Asbestos (NOA) areas. In 2003 the California Department of Toxic Substances Control conducted a study that evaluated airborne NOA concentrations before and after a road was paved in Garden Valley. The study found up to a 100-fold reduction in the airborne asbestos concentrations near the roadway.

Learn more about the Air Quality Management District

The El Dorado Irrigation District (EID) is an irrigation special district under the California Irrigation District Law and serves more than 125,000 residents in El Dorado County. EID is responsible for water treatment and delivery, along with managing recreation sites and creating electricity through hydroelectric and solar generation. Part of their work is to perfect and secure water rights. EID offers several services for customers, including Start/Stop Service, Update Contact Information, Pay a Bill, Report Water Leaks and Report Running Water Waste. They also advise on sewer concerns, and have tips on pools and frozen pipes. EID provides “How To” information for reading a meter, checking for a leak, adjusting water pressure or turning off water in an emergency. For general questions, EID has a portion of their website dedicated to Frequently Asked Questions.

Learn more about the El Dorado Irrigation District

A Community Services District (CSD) is a California Special District created by a local community to act as a local form of government to meet specific needs. When residents desire more services, they can form a special district to pay for and administer them. Community Services Districts are formed through CA Gov. Code §61000 et seq. to provide up to 32 different services, such as water, garbage, security, recreation, lighting, etc. The special district can consist of any county or counties of an unincorporated territory or incorporated territory of a contiguous or noncontiguous area. Community Services Districts are governed by a board of five directors with four-year terms, elected by residential voters, and directors can be elected at large.

Learn more about Special Districts from El Dorado LAFCO

El Dorado County accepts certain household hazardous waste from local residents. The Environmental Management Department provides information regarding what constitutes household hazardous waste, and the proper ways of disposing the waste. On July 16th, El Dorado County will host another household hazardous waste collection event by appointment only. To participate in the upcoming waste collection event, please contact the Environmental Management Department directly by phone at (530) 621-5300 or by email at hhw@edcgov.us to schedule an appointment.

When: July 16th 2022, from 9am to 12pm

Where:

Fire Station 86

3670 Bass Lake Road

El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

Scheduled Appointment Required.

Learn more about Hazardous Waste Collection