> ## 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. # L.A. beaches don’t make the grade - URL: https://www.smdp.com/l-a-beaches-dont-make-the-grade/ - Published: 2005-10-27T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T08:02:44.000Z - Author: Ryan Hyatt - Tags: Environment, Santa Monica, #archive-import *Will Rogers Beach tops group’s ‘F’ list* WILL ROGERS STATE BEACH — The coast isn’t clear, and Los Angeles County is primarily to blame. That’s the contention of Heal the Bay, the nonprofit environmental group based in Santa Monica, which said Wednesday that coastal waters along the California coast were cleaner than some might have expected — except for the areas in Los Angeles County, which failed miserably to keep the bay clean. Representatives from Heal the Bay praised the efforts of most to clean the waters along the California coast, but had harsh words for Los Angeles County, saying they had the worst water quality this summer in recorded history. According to the organization’s annual summer report card, 91 percent — or 407 of the 448 beaches in California — received “A’s” and “B’s” for their water quality this past summer. Meanwhile, 9 percent of beaches received the remaining “C’s,” “D’s” and “F’s” — most of which are located in Los Angeles County, said Mark Gold, director of Heal the Bay. Student Sarah Sevick filed a formal complaint in September with the U.S. Department of Justice, accusing Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas, of violating the Americans With Disabilities Act by not letting her keep her “assistance animal,” which is Lilly, her ferret. Sevick says that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, including panic attacks, and that Lilly “soothes” her, but the school said it was concerned with other students’ safety. (In other ferret news, the British upscale clothing firm Burberry threatened to sue a pet-accessories shop in Dudley, England, in October, for selling outfits in the familiar Burberry “check” pattern, including a cap and cape designed for ferrets.) Heal the Bay has been conducting its annual summer report card for the past five years. Of the 82 beaches located within the county, 20 received grades of “C,” “D” or “F,” while 11 of the 15 “F”’s received statewide were all within the Los Angeles area. While 47 (or 57 percent) of the local monitored locations received an “A” grade, it was the lowest percentage of all the coastal counties that monitor beach quality in the state. In fact, the number of beaches that received an “F” was the highest it has been in five years, Gold said. “Right here had the worst water quality of all the beaches,” Gold said before news cameras on Will Rogers State Beach, pointing to a storm drain across the street from Chautaqua Boulevard. Other local beaches that faired poorly include Paradise Cove, which received a “D” and “F.” Gold said fecal matter generated from a variety of sources — leaky septic tanks, restaurant waste — that trickles through storm drains causes the proliferation of bacteria which contaminate the water and result in a variety of human illnesses. A record rainy season is no excuse for poor water quality in the county, Gold said. While Orange, Ventura and San Diego counties also had record levels of rain in the past year, they also managed to secure their best report card on record. Gold ascribed the county’s failing grades to a lack of enforcement of new environmental regulations that the region will be hard-pressed to avoid for long. On July 31, 2006, all Santa Monica Bay and other local beaches will be required under the recent Clean Water Act to comply with new state water quality standards or risk enforcement action. “The deadline we’ve all been talking about for years is finally here,” Gold told reporters on Wednesday. > “This year’s drastic decline is a wake-up call to local coastal cities,” — Gold said Under the new regulation, all beaches from the Ventura County line south to Palos Verdes must meet water quality standards 100 percent of the time for the period between April 1 to Oct. 31. However, the county does have resources to help clean up its shores. Environment Now, a Santa Monica-based nonprofit group, announced in an August report that the victorious settlement involving the Santa Monica Baykeeper against the city of Los Angeles was the most impressive legal action to further the cause of coastal protection in 2004. In its annual report, Environment Now traces the most significant development each year in Southern California involving issues related to air and water quality, energy and land use management. Because of the precedent-setting aspects of the sewage settlement, Environment Now recently recognized those who pushed the whopping $2 billion agreement forward. In November of 1998, the Santa Monica Baykeeper, a group committed to restoring coastal areas, filed suit in federal district court against the city of Los Angeles, alleging some 20,000 violations of the federal Clean Water Act due to ongoing city sewage spills. The majority of those spills occurred in low-income, minority areas, according to the complaint. Some of the spills overflowed into storm drains and reached river and ocean waters, causing bacterial contamination and beach closures. In January of 2001, the federal and state Environmental Protection Agency also joined the fray, suing the city of Los Angeles for its continuing violations. That summer, residents in Baldwin Hills and the Crenshaw District also filed suit. The various parties involved in the suit were able to provide enough legal fodder to steer Los Angeles into compliance, said Tracy Egoscue, from the Santa Monica Baykeeper. In August of 2004, after six years of litigation, a $2 billion settlement was reached, resulting in one of the largest clean water projects and providing a road map for change, according to Environment Now. L.A. has about 6,000 miles of sewer lines serving almost four million residents. The $2 billion agreement requires the city to rebuild at least 488 miles of sewer lines and clean 2,800 miles of sewer annually. L.A. must also enhance its program to control restaurant grease discharges, increase the sewage system’s capacity, and plan for future expansion. Gold suggested officials make water clean-up a top priority in order to avoid further legal entanglements that could come from a lack of enforcement. He said $500 million was still available in Proposition 0 bond money that could be used to further coastal protection efforts. Pointing to the storm drain at Will Rogers State Beach, Gold said a well-designed dike cleaned out two to three times a week would go far to rid the water of the fecal bacteria that is a major source of sea contamination. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/102705-02_01.jpg) Angel Hilton struggles with five pumpkins at the ‘$5 all-you-can-carry pumpkin patch' that was held Wednesday at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market. (Photo: Fabian Lewkowicz/Daily Press) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/102705-02_02.jpg) Mark Gold, director of Heal the Bay, issues the nonprofit’s annual report card on area coastal cleanliness Wednesday, saying it should be a wake-up call for L.A. (Photo: Ryan Hyatt/Daily Press) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 27, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/102705.pdf?ref=smdp.com)