On Thursday, July 26, I had the good fortune to be able to attend a presentation at the Calpine Visitor Center concerning the future of the Calpine operation at The Geysers. It really is encouraging to see through a slide show presentation as well as hear from local residents in the audience how Calpine responds to needs within the community – be it a tremor or an unpleasant odor permeating the air.

Without a doubt, the biggest problem at The Geysers is one which has nothing to do with steam, but everything to do with safety. The problem? In a word, Securitas. Unfortunately, Securitas is still handling clearance and traffic security. That means the security operation at The Geysers is more cosmetic than it is real. In a post-9/11 world, this kind of bogus operation should not be tolerated.

One can only hope the security mess at The Geysers is NOT typical of other power plant operations across our county. If it is, we have a national problem – not just a local one. But, I believe the good people of Lake County will NOT continue to tolerate the cosmetic brand of security promoted by Securitas. No, I believe they will demand security be responsive to their needs.

It is understandable that Calpine may be too preoccupied with getting out of bankruptcy to notice ALL the Securitas deficiencies. Calpine is not a security company, but an award-winning supplier of geothermal power. Therefore, it is up to the good citizens of Lake County and all those who care about the area to take proactive action.

What kind of action? Demand that all three guard locations be linked through a network and have traffic records accessible via a database at the click of a mouse button. No more of this ridiculous reconciling and filing of handwritten traffic records eight to 24 hours after-the-fact. And, there should be a clearance backup procedure to make sure no contractor scheduled to work within The Geysers is denied access.

Here are some folks who need to hear your concerns:

• Ed Robey, Lake County District 1 Supervisor, P.O. Box 796, Lower Lake, CA 95457.

• Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC 20528. There is also a comment line: (202) 282-8495.

• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, State Capital Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814.

• Fox News Channel. Call 1-888-369-4762. (Be sure to thank Fox for coming to Middletown for "Middletown Days" in 2006.) Encourage them to send a camera crew to The Geysers to report back to the American people what they see.

The world's largest geothermal operation deserves the best security money can buy for its employees, guests and property owners. But, they don’t have it. They have Securitas, instead. The Geysers deserves better. Let’s help them get it.

Lamar Morgan lives in Hidden Valley Lake.

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yellowwing - Key Words Registered | 08-02-2007 13:11:28 The key words in this letter are "the best money can buy" - considering the fact that Calpine is in the middle of a bankruptcy, the current security is probably the best they can afford!

patsy - evidence? Registered | 08-02-2007 15:06:43 Mr. Morgan may be absolutely right about this, but before I panic I'd like to know what is his expertise in security systems and whether he has any facts to back up his claim that Securitas isn't up to the job.

lamar - Author of the letter Author | 08-05-2007 21:28:41 I would like to respond to both comments. First, the system Securitas has in place now is the same one it had BEFORE Calpine declared bankruptcy. It's not really a question of money so much as it is competence and caring. Securitas is incompetent and Calpine does not seem to care that they are incompetent. Why? Because their main concern is not really security, it is lower insurance rates. So long as the lower insurance rate requirements can be satisfied by having a cosmetic security force on duty, they are happy campers. In other words, they show very little concern for the safety of their own employees, contractors and the general public. And, I think that is wrong. Patsy wants to know what my expertise is with regard to security systems at The Geysers. Well, I did work for them at one time. I complained to both Securitas executives and Calpine's board of directors about the problems. I have a letter from the Regional President of Securitas in Walnut Creek stating that my concerns have been thoroughly investigated and that there are no longer any problems at The Geysers. Yet, when I inquire among the guards who currently work there if there have been any changes, they all tell me everything is the same. Well, if everything is the same, nothing has changed. If nothing has changed, the problems are still there. If you drive up Socrates Mine Road to Post 3, just look out your car window. What do you see? A gap between the gate bars big enough to drive a truck through. Is this what any rational-thinking person would expect in a post-911 world? Even in terms of cosmetic security, Securitas cannot get it right. But, I have invited Wackenut Security from Sacramento to take a look at The Geysers and give me their professional assessment. You can expect to be hearing a lot more about this issue in the months to come. The Geysers, as the world's largest geothermal operation, should not rely on a cosmetic security operation. They deserve REAL 24/7 security service - something they may have never experienced.

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