News
State sued over deal allegedly weakening Boeing's cleanup at toxic site near Simi Valley
Ventura County Star – October 11
Several environmental groups sued the state of California and Boeing on October 6 in Ventura County Superior Court over what they allege is a "backroom deal" that significantly weakens the aerospace giant's cleanup standards at the contaminated Santa Susana Field Lab site near Simi Valley. The lawsuit charges that the "secret" negotiations that produced the agreement violate the public involvement and transparency requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. The suit seeks to vacate the agreement, which was announced in May by the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Coastal Commission approves ocean desalination plant off Orange County coast
The Orange County Register – October 13
The California Coastal Commission on October 13 issued a permit for a $140 million desalination plant off the coast of Dana Point, moving the project a key step closer to turning 5 million gallons of ocean water a day into drinking water as soon as 2027. The plant, which would be aimed at serving south Orange County but could help shore up water supplies for residents as far away as Riverside County, does not yet have full regulatory approval. The project will next head to the California State Lands Commission for discussion of its final permit, with that vote slated for December 9.
Emissions at ports of LA, Long Beach rise ‘significantly’ since 2020, reports say
Press-Telegram – October 8
Greenhouse gas emissions from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach shot up last year, according to recent data from the ports — an increase officials largely attributed to pandemic-era supply chain disruptions and cargo congestion outside the port complex. Massive influxes of cargo in 2020 and 2021 overburdened the ports, often forcing vessels to wait weeks on end in the harbor before unloading and moving on to their next destination. The ports have worked to reduce congestion throughout this year, officials said, and, as of October 6, no container vessels are anchored offshore — a reduction of more than 90% since January.
To save California coasts, scientists turn to the humble oyster
Phys.org – October 10
There are no pearls growing on the oyster reefs in San Diego Bay, but scientists hope they will yield an even more valuable treasure: protection against coastal erosion wrought by rising sea levels. Thousands of the tiny mollusks have begun growing on the artificial reefs dropped in the bay as part of the Port of San Diego’s plan to mitigate damage in California's far south. Eventually, the scientists working on this pilot project hope to see the formation of real oyster reefs. The reefs are much more than a natural bulwark against tidal erosion; their bivalve occupants are all miniature filtration plants that are essential to the marine ecosystem.
Kinder Morgan completes long-running cleanup of Mission Valley fuel plume
The San Diego Union-Tribune – October 12
A toxic fuel plume that for decades contaminated soil and groundwater under the former Qualcomm Stadium parking lot in Mission Valley has finally been cleaned up, officials announced on October 12. Roughly 1.6 million gallons of fuel leaked from the nearby Mission Valley Terminal in the 1980s and 1990s, according to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners became responsible for the cleanup after acquiring the facility in 1998, several years after the water board discovered the contamination. The spill is one of the largest of its kind in California.
Endangered species found in Central California creek for first time after dam removal
SFGate – October 10
It's been just over a year since a century-old dam was removed from Mill Creek, a tributary that runs through the Santa Cruz Mountains in Central California. Now, scientists say the creek is already beginning to show signs of revitalization — including an unexpected discovery. Aquatic ecologists with the Sempervirens Fund, one of the conservation groups that co-owns the 8,532-acre forest known as San Vicente Redwoods, found 12 juvenile steelhead trout and 15 federally endangered coho salmon fry swimming in the creek last month. It was the first time the latter species had ever been recorded there.
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