Blackwater USA, infamous in the Falluja massacre, is proposing an 824-acre facility in a valley just north of Potrero, a small town (~850 people) on SR 94 about 1 hour east of San Diego. The project description submitted by Blackwater includes: * Military style training facility on 824 acres in Potrero, California, for 300 students and 60 staff members. * 9 carbine ranges, 300 x 225 ft. each * 1 carbine range, 600 x 225 ft. o NOTE: the Potrero planning group has been told verbally that there would be only 8 ranges instead of 10. * 5 pistol ranges, 150 x 150 ft. each * 2 live-fire fully ballistic multi-level shoot houses, 4,600 sq ft each * 15 live-fire fully ballistic single-level shoot houses, 20 x 60 (1200 sqft) each * 2 mile tactical driving track with gasoline storage tank. * 350 foot diameter EVOC skid pad. * 400 foot diameter helipad * 33,000 square foot urban simulation training area composed of shipping crates stacked to simulate city buildings on paved streets * 1 training tower, 5 level, 40 x 20 ft., 800 sq. ft. total * 1 training tower, 6 level, 24 x 48ft., 1,152 sq. ft. total * 4 ship simulators, 3 levels, indoor-outdoor, made of stacked shipping containers. * 1 Armory building for storage of guns and ammunition, 18,000 sq. ft. * 2 Dormitory buildings, 18,000 sq. ft. each * 2 classroom buildings, 18,000 sq. ft. each * 1 Defensive training building, 10,000 sq. ft. * 1 Dining hall, 10,000 sq. ft. * 1 Facility maintenance building, 18,000 sq. ft. * Various other buildings totaling 13,280 sq. ft. Even if you don't live in Potrero, you should be concerned about this project. It is converting a sensitive habitat, including a portion of the Cleveland National Forest and bordering BLM lands, into a heavy-use facility with noise (gunfire), water needs and pollution, air pollution, traffic congestion, etc. It is just a very bad idea. Less