Newport Beach to fight sewage waiver

Paul Clinton

NEWPORT BEACH -- City officials expect to join other coastal cities

next month in a drive to hamper the Orange County Sanitation District’s

ability to dump treated sewage into the ocean.

On Tuesday, Councilman Tod Ridgeway vowed to work to end a federal

waiver allowing the district to discharge sewage that doesn’t meet Clean

Water Act standards.

The district pumps 243 million gallons of partially treated sewage

into the Pacific each day from an “outfall” pipe on the ocean floor.

“We are immediately adjacent to the outfall,” Ridgeway said. “It would

be irresponsible of us not to oppose that waiver.”

The district has held the waiver, granted by the Environmental

Protection Agency, since the mid-1980s. It allows the agency to treat

half of the sewage it releases at a lower level known as “primary” and

half as “full secondary.” The less-treated sewage contains more bacteria,

human waste and other solids.

To treat all the sewage at the higher level, the district would need

to build a $400-million treatment plant.

Ridgeway’s comments came a day after the Seal Beach City Council voted

4 to 1 to oppose the extension of the waiver, which will expire in June

2003. The district must meet a December 2002 deadline for a renewal.

District spokeswoman Lisa Murphy said cities should wait until more

data is available before voicing their opposition.

“It’s very premature,” Murphy said. “There is a lot of information

still to be shared. . . . We’re hoping they’re going to take the time to

get educated on the issue.”

The Newport Beach City Council is expected to consider the item at its

Sept. 25 meeting. The city’s Harbor Quality Committee has already

recommended that the city oppose the waiver. The committee will meet

again on the issue Sept. 13.

Ridgeway is one of the 25 board members of the county sanitation

district. Officials from other cities, three agencies and a county

supervisor make up the panel.

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

[email protected] .