Water Board

Paul Clinton CRYSTAL COVE -- The state water board has endorsed a decision by its regional counterpart that holds the state's transportation department liable for storm-water runoff into the cove. The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board's statements came Tuesday in a preliminary report circulated in advance of an April 4 hearing on the validity of the California Department of Transportation's appeal of a cleanup order. Caltrans had appealed the regional water board's Nov. 16 cease-and-desist order that set a two-year timeline for cleaning up runoff into Crystal Cove.

Alex Coolman A regional water board slapped a cease-and-desist order on the Irvine Co. and two state agencies Thursday, demanding they stop discharges of urban runoff at Crystal Cove State Park Beach. The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board voted unanimously to pass the order, sounding a decisive note in an environmental argument that has been lengthy and confusing. "The words [of the relevant law] are clear from our point of view," said Ted Cobb, a lawyer for the board.

Paul Clinton NEWPORT BEACH -- Regional water-quality regulators last week extended three studies they hope will pinpoint the cause of bacterial contamination found in a plume of sewage off the city's coastline. On Friday, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board gave a green light to the studies that could fill the void that a previous $5.1-million study left for the district. The water board unanimously approved the studies to map the patterns of ocean currents, create scientific models to examine the plume and compare the district's waste discharges with data from Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Andrew Edwards More than one-third of a fine assessed against the Orange County Sanitation District will go toward a program to monitor ocean currents, if the agency gets its way. The sanitation district wants to contribute $60,000 from the $160,000 levy to the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, a high-tech effort to monitor ocean currents from San Diego to Point Conception, said Bob Ghirelli, the...

Alicia Robinson Boaters in Newport Harbor might get more places to dump waste from their vessels, but not all marina operators think new pump-out stations are needed. Seven marinas and anchorages in Newport Beach and five in Huntington Harbour may have to install new stations to pump out or dump waste from boats, if a state water board agrees with a 2003 order of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, calling for additional stations.

June Casagrande City leaders are continuing the push to keep potentially poisonous levels of the element selenium out of local waters. The Coastal/Bay Water Quality Citizens Advisory Committee last week heard a presentation on the agent and the hazards it poses to the local environment. "What we can do is continue to stress to the regional water quality board that if this water is pumped into the San Diego Creek, it will damage the habitat of the bay, and they should consider other places to pump it -- like into a sewer line rather than the storm water system," Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said.

Alicia Robinson The Orange County Sanitation District faces a $160,000 penalty for spilling nearly 1.6 million gallons of treated wastewater from a Huntington Beach pump station into the Santa Ana River on Labor Day weekend. Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board staff members recommended the penalty Monday, but board members have the option of reducing or eliminating the penalty if the sanitation district requests a hearing. "In this case, although this is probably a unique incident [and]

The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board announced this week that it will rule on the possibility of issuing a cease-and-desist order against the Irvine Co.'s dumping of water at Crystal Cove State Park. The water board will consider the question at its Nov. 16 meeting. State water officials are trying to determine if it is illegal to discharge water at environmentally sensitive areas like Crystal Cove. The state's decision could theoretically preempt the regional board's threatened action of enforcement.

Alicia Robinson More public stations to pump waste from boats will be installed in Newport Beach and Huntington Harbour, a state water board decided Thursday. The roughly 13,000 boats in Newport Bay and Huntington Harbour already can use public pump-out stations in 16 locations, but a study by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board showed those stations often break down or are not always accessible. Many boaters dump sewage at sea, which is legal, but federal law prohibits discharging waste in the harbors.

Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner Jim Fisler has resigned his seat on the commission to join the Mesa Consolidated Water District Board of Directors. He will replace former board member Paul Shoenberger, who resigned his post to become the district’s general manager. Fisler, a Realtor by trade, will attend his first water board meeting Sept. 8. Meanwhile, the city will have to replace him on the Planning Commission. Fisler was first appointed to the Planning Commission by the City Council in 2004 after serving two years on the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Business owner named to local water board The Mesa Consolidated Water District announced in a statement Tuesday that Shawn Dewane has been appointed to the district's board of directors. The board chose Dewayne at its July 27 meeting after interviewing eight candidates. Dewayne owns a Newport Beach branch office of Raymond James Financial Services, a company with services that include retirement planning. He is also a former member of the Assn. of California Water Agencies.

New rules could be on the way for local boaters. Environmental regulators are in the early stages of a process that could restrict paints used by most mariners. Regulators with the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board are looking for a contractor to study how much metal has found its way into the waters of Newport Harbor, water board spokesman Kurt Berchtold said. If the board finds a need to reduce copper levels in the harbor, mariners may need to find a new way to paint their boats.

Andrew Edwards More than one-third of a fine assessed against the Orange County Sanitation District will go toward a program to monitor ocean currents, if the agency gets its way. The sanitation district wants to contribute $60,000 from the $160,000 levy to the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System, a high-tech effort to monitor ocean currents from San Diego to Point Conception, said Bob Ghirelli, the...

Alicia Robinson The Orange County Sanitation District faces a $160,000 penalty for spilling nearly 1.6 million gallons of treated wastewater from a Huntington Beach pump station into the Santa Ana River on Labor Day weekend. Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board staff members recommended the penalty Monday, but board members have the option of reducing or eliminating the penalty if the sanitation district requests a hearing. "In this case, although this is probably a unique incident [and]

Alicia Robinson More public stations to pump waste from boats will be installed in Newport Beach and Huntington Harbour, a state water board decided Thursday. The roughly 13,000 boats in Newport Bay and Huntington Harbour already can use public pump-out stations in 16 locations, but a study by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board showed those stations often break down or are not always accessible. Many boaters dump sewage at sea, which is legal, but federal law prohibits discharging waste in the harbors.

Alicia Robinson Boaters in Newport Harbor might get more places to dump waste from their vessels, but not all marina operators think new pump-out stations are needed. Seven marinas and anchorages in Newport Beach and five in Huntington Harbour may have to install new stations to pump out or dump waste from boats, if a state water board agrees with a 2003 order of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, calling for additional stations.

Alicia Robinson Orange County Sanitation District officials vastly underestimated the size of a Labor Day weekend sewage spill, which released about 1.6-million gallons of treated wastewater rather than the original estimate of 13,000 gallons, officials said Thursday. Beaches from 52nd Street in Newport Beach to Magnolia Street in Huntington Beach were closed Sept. 4 after a power failure caused the spill from a Huntington Beach pump station. The spill is being investigated by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, a normal follow-up procedure that could result in a penalty for whomever caused the spill.

Alicia Robinson The commission charged with evaluating Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's California Performance Review, an attempt to streamline state government, decided Wednesday to recommend that the state's regional water-quality control boards not be cut. At Schwarzenegger's request, a team of state employees created the performance review, a massive report containing about 1,300 recommendations and a comprehensive reorganization...

Alicia Robinson Local environmental activists are vehemently opposing a state proposal to eliminate 10 boards that regulate water, a plan they think will put California's water-quality programs on the rocks. The California Performance Review, a report commissioned by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to increase government efficiency and save about $32 billion, recommends axing the State Water Resources Control Board and nine regional water-quality control boards, whose members are governor-appointed.