Grover Beach’s misinformation campaign harms our community

January 13, 2025

OPINION by DEBBIE PETERSON

By the end of last year, some said 2025 would be better. Two weeks on, I’m not so sure.

One of my out-of-state friends sent this message today: “What the world has become, growing up we would not have believed if someone had told us this is what it would be like in 2025. Southern California is on fire, Florida has snow. We have atmospheric rivers, atmospheric winds, and tornadoes galore.

“Droughts and floods in the same states, air you can’t breathe, food you can’t eat, water you can’t drink. Politicians acting like kindergartners; so many are crooks and cheats with so much wealth, yet so many on the streets. We are prosecuting heroes and letting criminals go free. Paying for things we don’t get and getting things we didn’t pay for.”

His lament rings true of my home city, Grover Beach. In 2024, we had our first tornado, first recall, first repeal of water and sewer rates, and a conviction of the city for election violations.

Residents and businesses on West Grand Avenue headed into 2025 with air they can’t breathe and food they can’t eat in restaurants because of the smell. During the excavation of Gary Grossman’s project at 197 Grand Avenue, which started in late December, community members enduring noxious smells, headaches, and burning eyes and throats sounded the alarm.

They photographed and videoed violations of safety protocols the city, state, and federal government claim to require.They sent photos of barrels filled with what looked like dirty oil that were pulled from the dig site to local media.

It took two days to even loosely cover massive mounds of dirt oozing a black sticky substance that the city says was “naturally occurring tar balls.” It is strange that those alleged “naturally” occurring tar balls were unearthed encased in damaged drums, barrels, and one massive underground storage tank.

Ooze or no ooze, the air pollution control district says those mounds must be covered by tarps and the soil watered down. Trucks removing such substances are to be brushed or hosed down.

Sidewalks and streets are to be kept clean of any material emanating from the site. Workers must wear protective clothing, hard hats, and even respirators when moving contaminated soil. Many of those requirements, however, are being ignored by the city.

Did anyone apart from those suffering the ill effects take it seriously? Not the city, not the regulatory agencies, and not the San Luis Obispo Tribune. Instead, the Tribune parroted the city, claiming there were no improprieties and everything is perfectly safe.

But it wasn’t.

The Tribune reporters failed to mention the barrels of tar pulled from the site and failed to explain the reports available on the project.

Instead, Tribune staff helped disseminate the city and the developer’s misinformation campaign.

Now, a day late and a dollar short, after the contaminated soils disappeared off to Cold Canyon Landfill, several regulatory agencies visited the site. Even more stunning is the failure of city officials to visit the site.

However, citizens have legal and electoral remedies over city staff and officials.

In regards to the Tribune, which contributed to the ongoing harm to workers, residents, customers, and visitors to the west end of Grand Avenue, there is a remedy.

Boycott the Tribune until it takes on the role of an honest, community publication. Don’t buy the paper, cancel your subscription, and don’t respond to its reporters, because, after all, somebody has to exercise oversight. Let it be you.

You can make a difference!

Debbie Peterson is an investigative reporter and author of The Happiest Corruption, Sleaze, Lies, & Suicide in a California Beach Town, City Council 101, Leadership Secrets of Taylor Swift, and Local Impact.