Clean Water Act

Paul Clinton Orange County Sanitation District leaders have shifted their attention to the federal level seeking legal protection from what could be stiff water-quality penalties as the district implements full treatment of its waste water. Following a two-track strategy, the district has deployed its Washington, D.C., lobbyist to investigate possible federal legislation and began talks with the Environmental Protection Agency on a settlement to an anticipated lawsuit.

Baby boomers may remember the Beatles' verse: "It was 20 years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play. " How long 20 years seemed when that song was released! Let's double that this October and November to celebrate the 40th anniversaries of the federal Clean Water Act and the passage (Nov. 7, 1972) of Proposition 20, the Coastal Initiative, here in California. Having lived through those 40 years, it doesn't seem like a long time, but to people younger than 40, it is, admittedly, personally prehistoric.

Andrew Edwards Government numbers show ocean bacteria levels that spiked during recent rainstorms have begun to fall to normal levels, with the exception of the waters near the Santa Ana River mouth. "Pretty much the whole area's recovered, except for the area around the Santa Ana River because Prado [Dam is] still discharging," Orange County Health Care Agency spokeswoman Monica Mazur said. Prado Dam, west of Corona, is about 30 miles upstream from the ocean.

Paul Clinton The Orange County Sanitation District will not face onerous fines as long as it implements full treatment of its wastewater by 2013, under a bill signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis on Sunday. The legislation, known as Assembly Bill 1969, was introduced by Assemblyman Ken Maddox (R-Garden Grove) in February. Fellow Orange County Assemblyman Bill Campbell (R-Orange) added his name as a co-author during the summer. "So long as they meet that timeline, they'll be immune from penalty," said Maddox, whose district will include Costa Mesa following reapportionment, which will occur after the November election.

Paul Clinton NEWPORT BEACH -- A federal bill that would give boaters the green light to dump partially treated sewage into Newport Harbor has come back to life after it died in a subcommittee last year. Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) has reintroduced a bill, known as the Recreational Waters Protection Act, that would amend the Clean Water Act to do two things: revise the standards for bacteria levels and allow boats equipped with a "marine sanitation device" to unload their waste in protected water bodies.

Alicia Robinson Environmental activists are fighting proposed changes to the California Ocean Plan that they say will pollute protected areas along the coast between Corona del Mar State Beach and Crystal Cove State Park. The changes being discussed today by the State Water Resources Control Board would allow runoff and discharge from unidentified sources to flow into the ocean, where any runoff is now illegal. Local environmentalist Garry Brown, executive director of Orange County CoastKeeper, is fighting to keep the ocean plan as is. "Quite frankly, in Orange County's 42-mile coast, that's one of the few areas we haven't already [messed]

Paul Clinton Environmentalists are cheering the State Water Board's recommendation that three local drainage channels get federal Clean Water Act protection. State water board members included Buck Gully Creek, Los Trancos Creek and a 24-mile section of the Santa Ana River, which has been identified as a transport for bovine urine from inland dairies to coastal Orange County, on a list of impaired areas. The Environmental Protection Agency now is considering whether to add them to its Impaired Water Bodies, or 303d, list.

Some ideas are slam-dunks. Some ideas are well-meant, but flawed. And then there are ideas such as the one being pitched by a New Jersey congressman to change the nation's long-standing Clean Water Act, ideas so misguided they would be laughable if they weren't so threatening. In this case, the threat is that the proposed legislation would allow boaters to dump partially treated sewage into Newport Harbor and the Back Bay. That's right. Right now, there is strong federal protection on both water bodies.

The mayors of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach will face off Friday to see whose city is more water-wise in a month-long national online competition. Mayors Nancy Gardner of Newport and Jane Egly of Laguna will kick off the National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Back Bay Science Center, 600 Shellmaker Road, Newport Beach. Environmental artist Wyland and Environmental Protection Agency water office head Nancy Stoner will also be in attendance.

Ahoy. Deja vu hit me this week as I read an e-mail from Nancy Skinner about bill H.R. 3673, which was introduced to Congress. It is almost identical to last year's defunct bill H.R. 1730. Both bills are written by U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), who appears to be trying to wax the kitchen floor by pouring the wax in from the front door, damn the carpet full speed ahead. I wrote a column Aug. 20 concerning Saxton's previous bill, and now, he has modified a few words in this new bill to once again allow partially treated waste to be discharged in "no-discharge zones" such as Orange County's Newport Harbor, Dana Point Harbor and Huntington Harbour.

Baby boomers may remember the Beatles' verse: "It was 20 years ago today, Sergeant Pepper taught the band to play. " How long 20 years seemed when that song was released! Let's double that this October and November to celebrate the 40th anniversaries of the federal Clean Water Act and the passage (Nov. 7, 1972) of Proposition 20, the Coastal Initiative, here in California. Having lived through those 40 years, it doesn't seem like a long time, but to people younger than 40, it is, admittedly, personally prehistoric.

The mayors of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach will face off Friday to see whose city is more water-wise in a month-long national online competition. Mayors Nancy Gardner of Newport and Jane Egly of Laguna will kick off the National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Back Bay Science Center, 600 Shellmaker Road, Newport Beach. Environmental artist Wyland and Environmental Protection Agency water office head Nancy Stoner will also be in attendance.

In South Orange County’s native coastal sage and oak woodland environment, the rivers and streams serve as the fount of life for a thriving biodiversity hot spot. These same valleys and gently rolling hills have also proven superb human habitat. After 45 years of growth and development, the streams have often been reduced to toxic drainage ditches that foul our world-class beaches and waves and have turned Aliso Beach and Doheny State Beach into notorious dangers to human and aquatic health, affecting tourism, fisheries and quality of life for our outdoor-loving sun-seekers.

Andrew Edwards Government numbers show ocean bacteria levels that spiked during recent rainstorms have begun to fall to normal levels, with the exception of the waters near the Santa Ana River mouth. "Pretty much the whole area's recovered, except for the area around the Santa Ana River because Prado [Dam is] still discharging," Orange County Health Care Agency spokeswoman Monica Mazur said. Prado Dam, west of Corona, is about 30 miles upstream from the ocean.

Andrew Edwards Big money has been changing hands as home sites at Crystal Cove, the Irvine Co.'s final residential project along the Orange County coastline, have been up for sale since September. Deals for the pricey real estate mark the end of an era for the developer. "It's such a unique environment that I don't think will be replicated anywhere in California," said Joseph Davis, president of the Irvine Community Development Co., a part of the Irvine Co. The Crystal Cove development will be built in the hills above Crystal Cove State Park.

Alicia Robinson Dismal attendance at an environmental rally at City Hall will not dissuade activists from fighting for California's forests, oceans and air. Two people who happened by and a few members of the media were the only audience for an event held by Environment California, a research and policy group that split off a year ago from the California Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization....

Alicia Robinson Cleaner water could filter into Orange County because of an agreement by the state Department of Transportation to install filters and other pollution controlling methods along highways around the state. The agreement, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, was the result of a lawsuit filed in 1993 against Caltrans by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Santa Monica BayKeeper. The suit alleged that Caltrans didn't do enough to stop pollution in highway runoff in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and thus violated the Clean Water Act. Newport Beach activist Garry Brown, executive director of CoastKeeper, hopes to use the decision to strengthen his fight against Caltrans.

Alicia Robinson Environmental activists are fighting proposed changes to the California Ocean Plan that they say will pollute protected areas along the coast between Corona del Mar State Beach and Crystal Cove State Park. The changes being discussed today by the State Water Resources Control Board would allow runoff and discharge from unidentified sources to flow into the ocean, where any runoff is now illegal. Local environmentalist Garry Brown, executive director of Orange County CoastKeeper, is fighting to keep the ocean plan as is. "Quite frankly, in Orange County's 42-mile coast, that's one of the few areas we haven't already [messed]

Paul Clinton Environmentalists are cheering the State Water Board's recommendation that three local drainage channels get federal Clean Water Act protection. State water board members included Buck Gully Creek, Los Trancos Creek and a 24-mile section of the Santa Ana River, which has been identified as a transport for bovine urine from inland dairies to coastal Orange County, on a list of impaired areas. The Environmental Protection Agency now is considering whether to add them to its Impaired Water Bodies, or 303d, list.

Paul Clinton Orange County Sanitation District leaders have shifted their attention to the federal level seeking legal protection from what could be stiff water-quality penalties as the district implements full treatment of its waste water. Following a two-track strategy, the district has deployed its Washington, D.C., lobbyist to investigate possible federal legislation and began talks with the Environmental Protection Agency on a settlement to an anticipated lawsuit.