"This is going to be a toxic cesspool someday," sheriff demands action on marijuana grows
SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. — The Northstate’s natural beauty is in jeopardy as illegal marijuana grows continue to plague rural communities.
Siskiyou County is one of the many locations that have been hit hard by the grows. Sheriff Jerimiah LaRue showed me around an illegal grow during a search warrant and pointed out not just the legal ramifications, but also the environmental impact it is having on their county.
“Right now we are all screaming that this is going to be a toxic cesspool someday, not only here but throughout California,” LaRue said. “Anything that has this much trash and chemicals and pesticides that go straight into the earth that are often unpermitted or often illegal in California, we should all be concerned.”
Riding along with LaRue and his team, I saw how destructive these grows can actually be. Trash thrown everywhere, illegal chemicals leaking into the ground, polluted water, and LaRue said the effects are far from temporary.
"What could the impact of this be five years, ten years, on California and then again back here locally,” I asked.
“Right, so all these chemicals are going to go into the ground, and eventually they’re going to get to a quantity that it is going to get into the groundwater and maybe even drinking water,” LaRue said.
Looking for answers brought me down to Sacramento where I spoke with former United States Attorney McGregor Scott who has extensive experience dealing with people and the environment when it comes to illegal grows.
“It’s reprehensible, it’s terrible,” Scott said. “You have massive leveling, massive clear-cutting, mountains of garbage and the chemicals, the pesticides.”
So what caused the issue? One of the things we talked about was Prop 64, but also Scott’s belief that legalizing marijuana was not handled properly from the beginning.
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“The fundamental problem from the beginning from my perspective was a very naïve belief that if we legalize marijuana in California, the black market would go away,” Scott said. “That is just not going to happen.”
To try to attack the problem, while serving as the US attorney for Northern California, Scott directed his team to pursue something that could actually put criminals behind bars, environmental charges.
“We were not going to win the public opinion on the marijuana issues, but when we talk about the collateral environmental damage that came with these large grows, that got people's attention," Scott said.
He said the state can help by supporting local jurisdictions like Siskiyou County.
“Then if we have a situation like we have in Siskiyou county which is essentially a mass take over of large parts of the county by illegal marijuana grows, the state needs to step up and provide resources," Scott said.
“Why is it important that the public understands this is not just about cannabis, it’s about the environment," I asked.
“That’s the nut of it right there," Scott said. "You mentioned the prestige conditions of the national lands in Northern California and how they’re being destroyed systemically. When you see law enforcement going into these grow sites, and they’re hauling away tons and tons of garbage, from the national lands from the national forest, it’s heartbreaking.”
A message echoed by Sheriff LaRue who is begging lawmakers not just to stop the problem now, but to prevent an environmental disaster that will affect generations to come.
“People need to address it at the state level and above because it’s not going away because it’s too easy to do and to make money off of that it’s never going to change unless we change the laws," LaRue said.
