Federal funding to Newport delayed

June Casagrande

A Big Canyon Reservoir cover and federal money for water-quality

education and dredging could all take a back seat to homeland

security issues, city officials learned during a trip to the nation’s

capital last week.

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff was part of a local contingent in

Washington, D.C. lobbying for $2 million from various federal

departments for water-quality education last week. Orange County

representatives on the trip included Orange County Council of

Governments Executive Director Janet Huston, as well as elected

representatives from San Clemente, Laguna Niguel and Lake Forest.

“Our primary purpose was to talk with our representatives about an

[Orange County Council of Governments’] request for $2 million to

help with water-quality education countywide,” Kiff said. “We won’t

know how successful we were until the congressional committees

‘mark-up’ the appropriations bills for specific departments.”

But, as it was explained to visiting Orange County dignitaries,

with congressional discussions on Iraq and on the new Department of

Homeland Security, these less urgent issues might not find time on

the docket until perhaps as late as February.

Newport Beach officials have been trying for more than a year to

convince the federal government to help the city pay for a huge

plastic cover for Big Canyon Reservoir. It is estimated it will cost

up to $5 million. Locals say this cover could help protect the city

from any terrorist attack on the reservoir and could also avert

problems like the midge fly larvae infestation that closed the

reservoir last year.

Water-quality education funds are another high priority of Newport

Beach and its neighbors. Educating the public about ways to stop

polluting the harbor and ocean is an integral part of the regional

plan to comply with stringent water-quality rules that came into

effect this year.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport.

She may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].