Heal the Bay Blog

By now you’ve heard the horrible news that AB 1998, which would’ve
banned single-use plastic bags at supermarkets and other selected
retailers statewide, went down to defeat by a 21-14 vote in the
California state Senate last night.  The bill garnered global attention
as the world waited to see if the so-called Golden State could once
again lead the way on environmental protection and sustainability. The
Heal the Bay-sponsored measure also received unprecedented coalition
support  from grocers, retailers, unions, cities, counties, and
environmental groups. But the vote wasn’t close. 

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Last week the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power gutted and
amended a pending state bill (AB 1552) and inserted new language that
would have significantly eased newly established rules for how power
plants suck in ocean water to cool themselves.  DWP leaders went on the
offensive against these regulations, even though an existing city policy
on Once Through Cooling legislation doesn’t exist. They moved forward
without a city council vote on the proposed legislation. (And in an
interesting bit of timing, lawmakers introduced the measure just as the
L.A. City Council commenced its two-week summer break.) 

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Sorry about the blog blackout, but I just got back from a family vacation to Alaska. My first trip to the land of Denali, fjords and tundra didn’t disappoint. I’ve dreamed of going to Alaska since my fifth-grade report on Seward’s Folly.

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We’re rounding third and headed for home. After pulling out all the
stops (and clichés) by “trashing our friends” and sharing the joys of
the natural history of “The Majestic Plastic Bag”
(200,000 views and counting of the Jeremy Irons voiceover homage to
Attenborough), AB 1998 needs 21 votes in the Senate to pass. A simple
majority.

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The Aspen Institute and the National Geographic Society kicked off the 2010 Aspen Environment Forum Sunday night with a lively discussion of the Gulf disaster. The timing of the forum, which always focuses on climate and renewable energy issues, has definitely cast an air of pessimism here.

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We at Heal the Bay hate Paul the octopus. That may seem strange to hear from a group dedicated to the protection of marine life.

The English import, Octopus vulgaris, made his spot-on World Cup picks in a German aquarium. His prognostication prowess demonstrated that either: a) maybe the subtlety and majesty of the so-called beautiful game isn’t that tough to master; or b) Paul knows a helluva lot more about soccer than any announcer on ESPN.

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The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board held a two-day marathon meeting at the end of last week. I’ve been attending board hearings for nearly a quarter century, well over 150 overall.  The Thursday hearing had to be the most screwed-up session I’ve ever attended, and I’m now convinced that this is the most anti-environmental board since the Gov. Deukmejian days. Heal the Bay had seven different items in front of the Regional Board over the session, which took place at the Ventura County government building and then Glendale City Hall.

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The city of Malibu cut the ribbon Monday on its new million-dollar runoff treatment facility in unique fashion.  Mayor Zuma Jay — Jefferson Wagner — paddled through the waves along with surfing icon Laird Hamilton to help launch the new plant, directly adjacent to Paradise Cove pier.  More than 100 people joined the festivities to celebrate clean water at the beach often known as Parasite Cove because of its chronically poor water quality.

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