Heal the Bay Blog

Category: Los Angeles Stormwater

Summer's Two Most Important Petitions

07.09.2012 | Heal the Bay

Petitions are one of the most influential ways to have your voice heard, and this summer, Heal the Bay is running several pressing campaigns to protect clean water and healthy neighborhoods.

Californians use an estimated 12 billion plastic bags a year, many of which end up as litter. In fact, plastic bags make up an estimated 25 percent of urban litter in L.A. River storm drains. Let your representative know that you’re fed up with plastic bags trashing our communities and beaches, and tired of wasting taxpayer dollars on plastic bag litter cleanup. Sign the statewide plastic bag ban petition.

Speaking of storm drains, the Regional Board is mulling a new stormwater permit that could result in “urban runoff” such as animal waste, oils and toxic materials being dumped into our local rivers and beaches with little or no treatment. This would result in dirtier water and a higher risk of getting sick anytime you swim or surf in Southern California beaches. Let the Regional Board know you want to be able to safely swim at our beaches or fish in our rivers, today. Sign the Take L.A. by Storm petition.

Related:

California, Bury the Bag

Take L.A. By Storm

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4th of July: Party With Heal the Bay

06.27.2012 | Heal the Bay

Los Angeles Stormwater Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey Santa Monica Venice Beach

It’s almost Independence Day. So it’s time to declare freedom from the tyranny of ocean pollution this 4^th of July holiday with Heal the Bay. Join our summer-long Take L.A. by Storm movement to keep our local waters clean with these ocean-friendly activities:

Kick off Independence Day with a star-spangled tribute to “Weird Science” by marching with Heal the Bay in the Santa Monica 4^th of July parade. Conjure up a costume and meet us at 8 a.m. in front of the Civic Center. RSVP with “PARADE” in the subject line.
Enjoy the breezy folk-rock tunes of Donavon Frankenreiter later that evening at the Santa Monica Pier’s free Twilight Concert series. The California native will headline the show, which will also include a performance by the Song and Dance Society, featuring Jeff Young and Dannielle DeAndrea. (Note: The beach cleanup with Donavon Frankenreiter has been canceled due to a scheduling conflict.)
Meet the 100 species of animals that live in our Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (SMPA), which is located on the beach level below the carousel. The SMPA will be open until 6 p.m. through September 3.

This summer, keep an eye out for all our Take L.A. by Storm events. Donate and take action now.

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Take L.A. by Storm This Summer

06.14.2012 | Heal the Bay

About Us Long Beach / Avalon Los Angeles Stormwater Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey Palos Verdes Peninsula Santa Monica South Bay Venice Beach

Municipal stormwater permits regulate all urban runoff discharge from separate storm sewer systems, so-called MS4s. Because stormwater is the No. 1 source of coastal pollution in California, these permits are a big deal for ensuring public health for those who recreate in our local waters. This summer, ocean lovers have a major fight on their hands in Los Angeles County.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board is now considering a new municipal stormwater permit for the county, after years of delay. Board hearings over the summer will determine the fate of our local water quality for the next decade or more. We are at a fork in the road in terms of local water quality, with many cities and dischargers fighting hard to relax hard-won regulations that prevent them from dumping pollution into our waterways.

Our Regional Board can do the right thing and place strong protections (including pollution limits or TMDLs and low impact development requirements) in the permit. Or, they can make decisions that could result in dirtier water, and a higher risk of getting sick anytime you swim or surf. Heal the Bay will do everything we can to ensure that they make the right choice. We hope you will join us in the fight!

In order to spread the word on this important issue, we are kicking off an outreach campaign we call “Take L.A. by Storm.” We are going to have some great events this summer leading up to the hearing in October where the permit will be approved. We need the public there to take a stand to protect our bay and neighborhoods.

If you care about protecting the ocean and public health, we need you to make your voice heard. We need beachgoers of all stripes to sign our petition on Change.org telling the Board you want to be able safely swim at our beaches or fish in our rivers. Please help protect what you love.

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Santa Clara River Wins Newhall Reprieve

06.08.2012 | Heal the Bay

About Us Los Angeles Stormwater More Ways to Give

June 11, 2012

Today’s guest blogger is Susie Santilena, an environmental engineer and water quality scientist at Heal the Bay.

The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board Thursday made a positive decision (or lack of decision) involving one of California’s most valuable resources: the Santa Clara River. The Santa Clara River is a haven for 117 threatened, endangered, or sensitive wildlife species or communities. It is Southern California’s largest remaining free-flowing river, and one of the most endangered rivers thanks to developments such as the one considered by the Board last Thursday, the Newhall Ranch Development Plan. The development proposal, put forward by the the Newhall Land and Farming Co., spans across Los Angeles and Ventura counties and calls for building more than 20,000 homes in an environmentally sensitive area.

The Board was deciding whether to approve regulations called “waste discharge requirements” (WDRs) and certify that the project complies with the Clean Water Act. The board’s decision was simple but wise: hold off, get more information on the project and determine if additional provisions are needed in the regulation to ensure that water quality is maintained.

Poised to impact thousands of acres in and around this river, the Newhall Ranch is advertised as a “green city,” yet is sited in the perfect place to do the most devastation to the environment — in an endangered river. This project spans 14,000 acres in and around the Santa Clara River, replacing the soft natural sides of 14 miles of the river and its tributaries with concrete and other hardscape, adding 35 new stormwater outfalls into the Santa Clara River, and encroaching on an area prone to flooding.

A strong coalition of environmental organizations including Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE), Friends of the Santa Clara River, Ventura Coastkeeper, and Santa Monica Baykeeper, along with the Coastal Conservancy joined with Heal the Bay to voice concerns with the proposed regulations and the Newhall project itself. Some of the biggest concerns expressed included:

Problems with the project, such as the attempt to build houses in the 100-year floodplain and how the stream hardening and increased runoff from project will affect flow downstream
Misinformation and flaws in the analyses of the project,
Weaknesses and suggestions to strengthen the Regional Board staff’s proposed regulations, such as the need for stronger stormwater requirements, requirements to make sure design features effectively protect water quality, more mitigation for habitat losses, and numeric effluent limits for stormwater outfalls.

Common sense prevailed despite Newhall’s best efforts to sway the board to adopt the proposed weak requirements for the project The Board raised so many questions and concerns regarding the development that there wasn’t enough time in the hearing for staff members to answer and address all of them. In fact, some of these concerns may actually be “fatal flaws” with the project that require some of the design to literally go back to the drawing board. Board members elected to delay the decision on the regulations until they get more information and clarification and understand how the project can be modified to lessen impacts to water quality and beneficial uses..

Now the environmental coalition is prepping for round 2…so stay tuned!

Join Heal the Bay’s summer-long Take L.A. By Storm campaign to help preserve the Clean Water Act, which is being threatened here in Los Angeles.

Learn more.

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The Fight for Clean Water Is On

05.04.2012 | Heal the Bay

About Us Long Beach / Avalon Los Angeles Stormwater Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey Palos Verdes Peninsula Santa Monica South Bay Venice Beach

May 4, 2012

Heal the Bay’s campaign to “Take L.A. By Storm” got off to a great start yesterday, with concerned citizens telling the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control board to set strong pollution limits as it debates a new stormwater permit for Los Angeles County this summer.

At the so-called MS4 workshop, Regional Board members heard public testimony about TMDLs (pollution limits), Receiving Water Limits and Watershed Management Plans for the first time in the regulatory process. These are arguably the most important sections of the permit. Heal the Bay, Santa Monica Baykeeper and Natural Resources Defense Council reminded the Board of its charge to develop and enforce water quality standards, noted the lack of enforcement for TMDL deadlines long overdue and described key permit provisions.

Stakeholders from the Black Surfing Association, Surfrider Foundation and Ventura Coastkeeper expressed their concerns with lax sections of the draft permit. Also members of the public from many parts of L.A., including Compton, Pico Union, West Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley and Santa Monica, talked about the need for strong regulation. Due to the great public turnout at yesterday’s MS4 workshop, the Regional Board heard from a diverse set of ocean lovers that strong water quality protections are critical for Angelenos.

Stay tuned for the next “Take L.A. By Storm” action.

Our Regional Board can do the right thing and place strong protections (such as low impact development requirements) in the permit. Or, they can make decisions that could result in dirtier water, and a higher risk of getting sick anytime you swim or surf. Heal the Bay will do everything we can to ensure that they make the right choice. We hope you will join us in the fight!

Learn more about this critical effort to protect clean water in L.A. County.

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Get Ready to Fight for Clean Water

04.25.2012 | Heal the Bay

Los Angeles Stormwater Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey Palos Verdes Peninsula South Bay Venice Beach

Today’s guest blogger is Kirsten James, Heal the Bay’s director of water quality.

The federal Clean Water Act turns 40 this year. Water quality has come a long way since 1972 but we’ve still got a lot of work to do to ensure that our waters remain safe and healthy. Our nation’s rivers are no longer catching on fire (e.g. the Cuyahoga River, circa 1969) but many waterbodies are still unsafe for swimming and contain severely contaminated fish.

One of the pillars of the CWA is the stormwater permitting program. Municipal stormwater permits regulate all urban runoff discharge from separate storm sewer systems, so-called MS4s. Because stormwater is the No. 1 source of coastal pollution in California, these permits are a big deal for ensuring public health for those who recreate in our local waters. It’s also a major part of my job – ensuring that water quality regulations are as protective as they can be. And now ocean lovers have a major fight on their hands in Los Angeles County.

In 2001, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a municipal stormwater permit for Los Angeles County. The Regional Board is now considering a new permit for the county, after years of delay. As the board begins making critical decisions regarding the new permit, Heal the Bay is concerned about lobbying interests looking to weaken existing protections.

Board hearings over the summer will determine the fate of our local water quality for the next decade or more. We are at a fork in the road in terms of local water quality, with many cities and dischargers fighting hard to relax hard-won regulations that prevent them from dumping pollution into our waterways.

If you care about protecting the ocean and public health, we need you to make your voice heard. We need beachgoers of all stripes to attend a Regional Board workshop on May 3 designed to gather community input about local water quality regulations.

To fight for clean rivers, beaches and oceans, join our campaign: Taking L.A. by Storm (download flyer).

Attend the May 3 Regional Board workshop, the first of the hearings this summer, and let them know you want to be able safely swim at our beaches or fish in our rivers. Please help protect what you love.

To join us, RSVP with your name, email and ZIP Code.

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Saving For a Rainy Day

11.08.2011 | Heal the Bay

Long Beach / Avalon Los Angeles Stormwater Malibu / Pacific Palisades Marina del Rey / Playa del Rey Palos Verdes Peninsula Santa Monica South Bay Venice Beach

L.A. County’s Department of Public Health has just released rainwater harvesting guidelines that could help transform the region’s management of stormwater runoff. The guidelines apply to rainwater harvesting projects, including rain barrels and cisterns, and they significantly shift the region’s approach from treating rainwater as a pollution source and flood control problem to managing it as a critical resource.

The guidelines were released at the site of a massive Proposition O project at Penmar Park in Venice. A giant pit and a huge dirt mound served as the backdrop Tuesday for the modest press event (the Conrad Murray verdict occurred an hour earlier). The Penmar Park project will capture runoff from the watershed from south-east Sunset Park in Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Airport and the Rose Avenue neighborhood near Walgrove Avenue. The cistern will store approximately 1 million gallons of runoff, which will then be disinfected and used for irrigation at the Penmar golf course and park.

The rainwater harvesting guidelines were negotiated over a two-year period with the City of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and the environmental community, led by Heal the Bay and Treepeople. They provide clarity and certainty to project developers on how to move forward with projects that capture and reuse rainwater. L.A. County Public Health, especially Angelo Bellomo and Kenneth Murray, earn major props for moving the guidelines forward.