Sewage spill motions approved
By IRENE MANAHAN Special to the Daily Press
LOS ANGELES After a disturbing report last month found that 90 percent of sewage spills in the Santa Monica Bay over the past five years went unrecorded, LA County supervisors are looking to repair a broken system.
LA County Supervisor Don Knabe led an investigation in September 2006 that explored the spills and assessed whether the reporting and follow-up procedures were effective.By all accounts, they were not.
The Auditor-Controller report, released Jan.24,revealed that 208 separate spills,resulting in over 11.6 million gallons of raw sewage, contaminated the Santa Monica Bay Watershed from January 2002 to July 2006. A staggering 189 of those spills have no documentation.
Because of the failure to report the spills, the LA County Department of Public Health, in numerous cases, did not close beaches that should have been closed.
“There were a number of breakdowns at every level, including improper equipment maintenance and inadequate communication,” said David Sommers, of Knabe’s office.
The Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday to discuss ways in which to repair the reporting system.
“This board must now swiftly move to fix the shortcomings which are under county control,” remarked Knabe. “But also must advocate aggressively for other public agencies to step up and fulfill their responsibilities.”
Dr. Jonathan Fielding, LA County’s Public Health Officer, plans to designate a day-to-day project manager to provide monthly status reports.
Fielding and his staff plan to work in close consultation with county agencies — including the Public Health Commission, Auditor- Controller, the fire chief, the Directors of Public Works, the LA Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Monica Baykeepers and Heal the Bay — to ensure the health and safety of the public.
“We’re willing to work with them and take a step in the right direction,” said Mike Grimmer, Environmental Data Analyst for Since as far back as 2000, Heal the Bay “had been saying that the spill notification process had massive room for improvement. The protocol was spotty, at best,” said Grimmer. “We’re glad that the public will now be safe and aware.We are willing to help and lend our expertise in any way possible.”
One reform calls for a repeat inspection process by the Auditor Controller, Sommers said. In one year, inspectors will report back to see if the implementations of Knabe’s recommendations have made a difference.
A number other proposed reforms,however, were outside of local authority, and needed state action.
“Changes need to be made at every level of government,” said Sommers.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 2, 2007. Read the original PDF.