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# Terry O'Day on cleaning up pollution around the Santa Monica Pier
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/110106-story-20061101-6/
- Published: 2006-11-01T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:59:46.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Pier, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness

Terry O’Day AGE: 33 OCCUPATION: Executive Director, Environment Now Foundation MARITAL STATUS/CHILDREN: Married; 21-month-old daughter, and a second due Nov. 3\. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? HOW LONG? Pico; almost 10 years YOUR RIDE? GM cars, bike, stroller OWN OR RENT? Own YOUR PASSION? My family, the environment, learning WHAT ARE YOU READING? Jim Collins’ epitaph “Good to Great in the Social Sector”

The water around the santa monica pier is some of the most polluted in the state and poses a significant health risk to swimmers. How do we clean up the beach?

The pollution at the pier comes from our streets and our behavior. There are four ways to address this problem. 1\. Support Prop V, which will repair the storm drain beneath the pier; 2\. Reduce the amount of water that reaches our storm drains by conserving water and reducing impervious surfaces; 3\. Treat runoff from our streets by allowing our natural ecosystems to filter the water; 4\. Encourage sustainable business and consumer practices throughout the community, particularly around the pier.

This plan will increase open space, restore ecosystems, clean the beach and reduce the cost to taxpayers.

WHAT’S A HIDDEN GEM IN THE CITY?

Our alleyways are a hidden gem. Behind many of our homes and businesses are tremendous opportunities for green space, bike lanes and community interaction. By replacing the broken asphalt with porous pavement and landscaping, we can recharge our groundwater, reduce stormwater runoff and increase our connection to nature. We can also utilize alleys to link our bike network. On the promenade, our alleys offer an opportunity to support an eclectic mix of small businesses.

Homelessness is far and away our city’s most pressing issue, according to daily press readers. What new ideas do you bring to the table? Do service providers help the down-and-out or merely attract more homeless and enable them?

In Philadelphia, the city combined their programs for homeless folks with aggressive outreach by case workers. This puts the responsibility for contact with homeless people in the hands of dedicated service workers, and not police. It reduced chronic homelessness by 70 percent in three years.

BEATLES OR STONES?

Beatles for the breadth and best albums (“Sgt. Pepper’s” and “Abbey Road”). The Stones for the depth (“Sympathy for the Devil,”“Undercover of the Night,”“Angie”).

HOW DO YOU SPEND A DAY OFF IN SANTA MONICA?

Not too many of these lately — beach, park, neighborhood walk (Coffee Bean on Michigan Avenue), reading...

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 1, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110106.pdf?ref=smdp.com)