MAILBAG - May 18, 2007

Toxin proves pollution problem

Your report describing massive numbers of sea mammals and birds dying due to an outbreak of domoic acid poisoning off the coast of California, including Laguna Beach, is alarming.

It is tragic testimony to our failure to be responsible stewards of our ocean by not addressing the causes of the problem.

We scratch our heads and debate what could be causing such a horrific event.

The plain truth is that we need to stop dumping what we don’t want into our ocean.

Scientists dwell on specific causes, including nutrient loading from urban runoff and sewer outfalls, storm water, and ocean upwelling cycles. Ocean upwelling is a natural cycle transporting colder bottom deposits to warmer coastal waters. Whatever is dumped into the ocean is mobilized by this cycle.

Since we are suffering from a two- to three- year drought, we can dismiss storm water. However, less rain means more irrigation and larger daily flows of nutrient-loaded urban runoff transporting fertilizer and other residues to the ocean.

With increasing summer temperatures and more irrigation-induced urban runoff, the situation is destined to become even worse. We need to accept that urban runoff and sewer discharge are major contributors to the problem and need to be curtailed.

For years residents in Laguna Beach have advocated aggressive actions to measurably reduce urban runoff flows from Aliso Creek into the ocean. There is no disputing the severe impacts of urban runoff in creating ocean pollution, yet no interventions are being made by the County and cities to actually remove these toxic flows.

Ignoring the obvious role of urban runoff to wait for more “studies” will only aggravate a very serious environmental emergency.

The county has spent 20 years and more than $20 million without measurably reducing dry weather urban runoff flows. In fact, during this period, daily flows have more than doubled. Immediate actions need to be taken by the county to actually eliminate dry weather urban runoff flows and protect coastal wildlife and the public from ocean pollution.

I hope government officials and elected representatives won’t sit tragically by watching this horrific event take place and do nothing to deter it from occurring now and this summer.

MICHAEL BEANAN

Laguna Beach

Aliso agreement needs transparency

The Aliso Creek/Driftwood project has got to be the biggest, most significant development in the history of Laguna Beach. Surely, every opportunity must be afforded to the citizens of Laguna Beach to make suggestions for the improvement of the project.

The appointment of only two [City] Council members to a subcommittee [on the project] will have the exact opposite effect of transparency. If only two council members are involved, the impression given is that there will surely be any number of secret agreements made. Eventually the council will ratify those agreements, sure -- long after it is much too late for any real community input. This just won’t do!

The development agreement for the Montage, which was done with two council members and no community input until it was way too late to have any impact, resulted in the disaster to the city of the cost of Treasure Island Park. Initially said to be about $3 million, it turned out to be closer to $9 million — but this was apparently OK because the development agreement said the city was responsible; no need for any cost control or project accounting.

We must learn from the past mistakes. Let this project proceed in the normal manner by going through the Planning Commission and then the City Council. Moreover, those bodies are urged to hold several community workshops along the way to allow not only total transparency but ample community comments and input. This will result in the project being the best possible for the city, for Athens, and for the citizens of Laguna Beach, something that everyone can be proud of.

Bill Rihn

South Laguna

Teens of great assistance to seniors

Last Sunday, about 30 remarkable young women from local high schools put on an incredible party for the seniors of our community. The Veterans’ Hall was decorated with balloons, festive tables, flowers, photo ops and tables laden with delicious food.

While a few were concerned about their need or ability to do the lindy or the swing, they quickly realized that the girls were happy to fill the dance floor to the tunes of Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Nat “King Cole.”

The Assisteens of Laguna Beach, under the guidance of Joan Porter of the Assistance League, hosted their first annual “Spring Fling” and we can only hope this becomes an event that brings seniors of all ages together at least once a year.

These girls have been giving our seniors regular “outings” for bingo and lunch for the past several years, but this adventure was an entirely new endeavor. Music for dancing, prizes for pleasure and delicious food from Pomodoro created a warm and festive atmosphere.

The board of directors, the members of Laguna Beach Seniors, Inc. and I want to express our grateful appreciation for this loving gift of time and energy. Much has been written lately about the image of the teens in Laguna Beach and elsewhere...I am witness to the intelligence, kindness, caring attitude and generosity of the teens we are privileged to have as part of our life here in Laguna Beach. Thank you from all of us, and we look forward to more parties when the new Susi Q is open!

CAROLE ZAVALA AND LEE

ANDERSON

[Editor’s Note: Carole Zavala is Interim Executive Director and Lee Andersen is Chair of Laguna Beach Seniors, Inc.]

Mountain tunnel should be killed

The Laguna Beach City Council didn’t go far enough regarding its agenda bill in opposition to the 11.5-mile tunnel through Cleveland National Forest.

The wording actually supports the dig by allowing rapid transit and utility infrastructure via such a nightmare, and it failed to address the real substantial issues — potential fiscal and environmental calamities.

Our council should place it back on the agenda and include verbiage that proposes stopping the entire idea while in its infancy.

The tunnel is really a “gateway” project allowing further increased development.

Like a gravel road in the wilderness, eventually it will get larger, it will get paved, it will facilitate or encourage further incursions both here and inland.

South Orange County is already known as the poster child for Social Darwinism (“Them that’s got shall get, them that’s not shall lose”) so Laguna Beach needs to scream loud and clear by forming a local movement similar to the anti-airport group.

Keep in mind that publicly opposing it only because it may bring more inlanders to Laguna in greater numbers marginalizes our city because it sounds extremely selfish.

In rebuttal, it could be argued that every American has an inherent right to partake of our region’s natural resources. In these parts they are the beaches, coastal hiking trails, etc.

Some may counter that South County residents will be able to get to inland recreational routes faster and more efficiently. What’s a little environmental destruction if it conveniently saves yuppies some driving time?

Massive projects like this should also be stopped because they become black holes of funding.

Witness the “Big Dig” rapid transit project in Boston. Started out at $2.8 billion, as of last year (2006) it was up to $14.6 billion, still not completed, and has innumerable structural flaws that may never be remedied.

The Mont Blanc Tunnel Disaster in Europe (March 24, 1999) took the lives of 41 people due to a fire. Only two-thirds the length of this Orange County proposal, a truck caught fire about half-way through and lack of visibility exacerbated the death toll as drivers slammed into one another in the smoky confusion.

Ignored by many is the fact that our Big Tunnel will also heavily impact fragile ecologies that have already been cut up into small islands or isolated, compressed pockets with little natural biologic connectivity. And of course there’s always the next big earthquake, which seismologists tell us creeps closer every day: It’s not “if,” it’s only a matter of “when.”

Monolithic projects, when they fail, are major catastrophes in many ways, and who will underwrite the repayment of family members with lost loved ones if the presently cash-strapped OCTA is held negligently culpable ? What public agency (or agencies) will pay for rebuilding or repairs if it does collapse in the giant tremors headed our way? Case in point: eight years later, they’re still pointing fingers and litigating the resolution of the Mont Blanc fiasco.

Similar to a sheriff’s posse chasing a known dangerous felon, let’s head this jeopardy off at the pass and kill it now.

ROGER E. BUTOW

Laguna Beach