Funding jail expansion image5x

Groundwater and Delano Prisons

  • 123 TCP in Pesticides

    Shell and Dow mixing toxic byproducts into their fumigants; they get spread by farmers in the Central Valley (123 TCP)
  • Wells first drilled near KVSP

    The City installed four wells west of highway 99 to monitor first encountered groundwater in the WWTF vicinity: one upgradient and the rest downgradient. (2015 UWMP)
  • California drought hit Delano’s economy hard

    1987-1992
  • First prison built, wastewater treatment plant expanded

    North Kern State Prison was built, the City expanded the WWTF by 0.8 mgd, bringing the WWTF to its current 4.4 mgd capacity. (1)
  • Contracted the purchase of effluent wastewater with local farmers

    The City entered into a long- term contract to sell excess treated wastewater to the Sandrini Brothers, who until recently, recycled effluent on a 640 acre farm. Due to the death of the Sandrini Brothers, the farmland has been divided into two different farms that put the 1991 contract in jeopardy. (1)
  • North Kern State Prison opens

    North Kern State Prison is on the northern side of the complex and is connected to the City of Delano public water system
  • CDCR proposes another Delano prison

    California State Prison Kern County at Delano II prison proposed, many lawsuits filed by environmental groups (Friends of the Kangaroo Rat) and anti-prison groups like Critical Resistance
  • Degradation detected in groundwater near WWTF

    Annual monitoring well data from 1991-2000 indicates groundwater levels beneath groundwater degradation in the vicinity of the WWTF.
  • Sewage violation

    The Board issued Delano a notice of violation for exceeding the monthly average daily discharge flow limit of 4.4 mgs since September 1999
  • Proposal to expand WWTF

    The Discharger submitted a draft mitigated negative declaration (MND) to expand its WWTF
  • Report about WWTF's recycled water requested

    The Board requested the Discharge submit a Tile 22 report by October 1, 2001. Title 22 requires that recyclers of treated municipal wastewater to submit an engineering report detailing the use of recycled water, contingency plans and safeguards. The Sandrini Brothers never submitted reports for their recycling operations.
  • Art Armendariz becomes Mayor

    "Prior to his retirement, he was employed at Wasco State Prison where he served as a community resource office (liaison between the community and the prison), a correctional officer and a supervisor. Armendariz’s community service includes member of the Delano City Council for 12 years." Link text
  • Land cleared for KVSP construction

    Los Angeles Times reports that the city is clearing land around North Kern State Prison to build Delano II “Just down the two-lane blacktop from North Kern State, construction workers are busy clearing 640 acres that are the site for “Delano II.”” Link text
  • City of Delano purchased additional land around WWTF

    The City purchased an additional 478 acres of farmland referred to as the “Mettler Property”, for a total of approximately 932 acres of farmland ( Source: Order R5-2017-0052)
  • City of Delano wells exceed new EPA arsenic limit

    When the EPA passed new laws about acceptable arsenic levels in the early 2000s, Delano tested its groundwater between 2000-2003, which resulted in 9 out of 11 of Delano’s total wells exceeding the allowable arsenic limit (Source: 2015 UWMP)
  • KVSP opens

    Kern Valley State Prison opens on 600 acres of land, with a Level 1, Level 4’s in July (CDCR)
  • Proposed drinking water treatment plant for KVSP

    August- November 2006: CDCR submits a proposal for an arsenic treatment plant and has it approved by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (Kern Valley State Prison Arsenic Removal Water Treatment System: SCH Number 2006091145)
    CDCR received $2.5 million from the CA state budget to build water treatment plant (LA Times) Link text
  • High school is built near prisons and WWTF

    Robert F. Kennedy High School (next to the prisons) is built
  • Report published about gasoline contaminants in North Kern State Prison groundwater

    Report by the Kern County Local Oversight Program published. States that North Kern State Prison Groundwater already impacted by gasoline related compounds from a gas leak in 1993. “Soil and groundwater appear to be significantly impacted by MTBE [Methyl tertbutyl ether], TBA [Tertiary Butyl Alcohol] and other gasoline constituents.”
    Link text
  • KVSP builds arsenic treatment plant

    Kern Valley State Prison builds an arsenic treatment plant