OJAI : Tower Opponents to Urge Council to Join

The Ojai City Council tonight will be asked to join Ventura County supervisors and state representatives in opposing a radar weather tower atop Sulphur Mountain.

The resolution urges the federal government to conduct further environmental studies before turning on the weather-tracking station that emits low levels of radiation.

“The city of Ojai is going to support the opposition to the radar tower,” Councilwoman Nina V. Shelley said. “My major objection is that the federal government did not follow the same procedures that we’re all required to follow.”

The Environmental Coalition of Ojai recently sued the federal government for what the group said was inadequate notice given to residents on constructing the tower and a failure to properly study the impact of the system.

Already, the group has succeeded in garnering support from the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and others in its fight against the microwave radar station. But the coalition suffered a major setback Friday, when a federal judge refused to grant a preliminary injunction preventing the National Weather Service from switching the tower on later this week.

Attorneys for the coalition and two residents who brought the suit said Friday they expect to file an appeal with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeal in San Francisco.

But actor Larry Hagman, one of two residents named as plaintiffs in the federal court case, said Monday he was not certain the appeal would go forward.

The government is scheduled to begin testing the radar tower before the end of the week, according to Jerry McDuffie, who runs the Oxnard office of the National Weather Service.