> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Getting the dirt on repeat polluters
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/getting-the-dirt-on-repeat-polluters/
- Published: 2007-03-21T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:16:44.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: local, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Local officials back bills to improve notification of spills*

SANTA MONICA BAY Local lawmakers are trying to put the hurt on polluters,introducing legislation that would create harsher penalties for those who fail to report sewage spills.

State Assembly members Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) and Ted Lieu (D-Playa del Rey) have both introduced similar bills aimed at improving the way in which public health officials are notified of raw sewage spills so that they can quickly close beaches and protect swimmers from getting ill.

In addition to heftier fines, lawmakers are proposing civil penalties. One violation could carry a financial penalty of $25,000 and a year in county jail, according to amendments expected to be submitted today by Brownley’s staff.

“We continue to have sewage spills and it continues to take various entities quite awhile to report them, making it more difficult to clean it up,” said Stephanie Burri, Brownley’s chief of staff. “We are trying to make sure we have the quickest reporting we can.”

Staff for Brownley and Lieu are expected to work together over the coming months on one bill.

The proposed changes come just weeks after an investigation by county officials revealed over 11.6 million gallons of raw sewage contaminated the Santa Monica Bay Watershed from January 2002 to July 2006\. A staggering 189 spills had no documentation.

Because of the failure to report the spills, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health did not close beaches in instances when they should have been off limits due to high levels of bacteria, potentially causing swimmers and surfers to get sick.

Since the report, county supervisors, led by Don Knabe, have created clear protocols for reaching emergency response crews after regular business hours and on weekends. A database has also been created to track spills when they happen, where they happen, the severity and the steps taken to warn the public and protect the environment.

That said, supervisors are looking to Sacramento for help.

“Many of the reforms that need to happen are things that we can’t control locally,” Knabe said. “They have to happen at the state level through legislative reform.”

In September 2006, Knabe requested a widespread investigation to certify how spills are documented throughout the city, and according to the audit, to determine if proper protocols were being adhered to by public agencies to minimize the impact of such spills on public health and the environment.

In November 2001, after discovering evidence regarding a large number of spills, Knabe conducted a similar study about whether there was an actual communication delay between the public agencies in reporting the incidents.

Massive problems dating back several years were unearthed in the latest probe, including numerous breakdowns in the communication system at every level of government.

“This has been a chronic problem that has been putting beachgoers at risk for years and years,” said Mark Gold, director of Heal the Bay, an environmental watchdog that releases regular reports on water quality at local beaches. “So now that the county is aggressively following through on a complex set of recommendations, I welcome them, but it’s long overdue.”

Gold said it is important to clarify the reporting process and include strict time limits for notification immediately following a significant spill.

“We think this will be motivation to make sure spills are reported in a timely manner,” Gold said.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 21, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032107.pdf?ref=smdp.com)