By Mark Gold Executive Director, Heal the Bay
Last Wednesday, the Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously to ask the City Attorney to draft a ballot measure to provide funds to clean up Santa Monica’s beaches, the bay, and the runoff pollution generated by our city. Also, the council approved a far-reaching urban watershed management plan for the city that takes an integrated approach to reducing runoff pollution, providing flood control protection, augmenting groundwa-ter supply, reducing potable water use, and providing more green space and permeable area in the community.
Currently, our beaches look like trash dumps after a rain and numerous beaches have poor water quality during wet weather. The beach near Santa Monica Pier is even chronically polluted with fecal bacteria during the summer and is currently in violation of the July 15 deadline for clean beaches. In order to get funds to implement the urban watershed management plan by 2008, Heal the Bay urges the city to move forward on the ballot measure this November,so we will soon see a day when all Santa Monica beaches get straight “A’s” on the Beach Report Card, our beaches are clean after a rain, and the city takes a leap forward in its effort to become truly sustainable. If the city of Los Angeles can pass the $500 million water quality bond, Proposition O, with over 76 percent of the vote, then surely Santa Monica can provide similar leadership.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 25, 2006. Read the original PDF.