End of waiver good for Aliso...
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End of waiver good for Aliso Beach
I am the former chief engineer of the Orange County Sanitation
District and personally directed the preparation and filing of the
301(h) waiver for the district in September of 1979. The Board of
Directors of the district felt at the time that this was the best
course of action because of the very aggressive capital improvement
program that was being implemented. This capital works program
included 50 mgd of secondary treatment facilities at the Fountain
Valley plant and 75 mgd of secondary treatment facilities at the
Huntington Beach plant.
Major trunk sewers were also being constructed extending from the
Huntington Beach plant northerly to serve the cities of Fountain
Valley, Stanton, Westminster, Buena Park, Garden Grove and La Palma.
The Santa Ana Regional Interceptor was also being constructed along
the Santa Ana River from the Fountain Valley plant to the Orange
County boundary near Prado Dam. This major interceptor sewer not only
served several cities in Orange County, but provided a conveyance
system for the removal of contaminants and toxins from the Upper
Basin (Riverside and San Bernardino counties).
I believe that the Board of Directors’ recent action not to
request an extension of the waiver was prudent and necessary
considering the general public demand for full secondary treatment
for all waste waters being discharged to the ocean. However, it is my
opinion that with the expenditures of several millions of dollars and
increased property taxes, the beach closures and bacteria
contamination along the shoreline will not cease.
When the Corps of Engineers paved the bottom of the Santa Ana
River with concrete from the ocean to Weir Canyon, we lost over 225
acres of wetlands in the bottom of the river. The earthen soil
bottom, along with the vegetative growth, help reduce the
contaminants from the local storm water runoff before it reached the
ocean waters. The South Orange County Wastewater Authority treats all
the wastewater to secondary treatment level and discharges the
treated waste one-mile off shore from Aliso Beach. Even with
secondary treatment, the beach at Aliso has been quarantine and
posted on several occasions.
It is my opinion that the recent influx of beach pollution
resulting in unhealthy conditions and beach closures is the result of
neglect by many sewer agencies to properly maintain their sewers
resulting in sewer overflows and cities failing to implement a strong
storm drain, environmental anti-dumping policy with adequate
enforcement. All the contaminants and toxicant from sewer overflows,
the animal feces, pesticides, construction run-off, etc. that enter
our storm drain systems will continue to pollute our waterways and
beaches unless there is enough pressure brought on the various city
councils to adopt and enforce anti-pollution programs for out storm
drains.
The much-hailed victory will not provide clean and safe beaches.
RAY E. LEWIS, P.E., DEE
Laguna Beach
Summer breezes and the scent of new tar
Summer in Laguna -- fresh air, open windows, friends and family
coming to visit, a wonderful time to be home here, despite the
traffic and huge amounts of people coming and going through town. Not
so this summer.
For some reason, the people who make decisions decided it was the
best time to do a major sewer overhaul and repave all of North
Laguna. It has now been going on well over a month on my street.
There is a lot of jackhammer noise, incredible dust that gets blown
into our open windows so we have to keep them closed, major
disturbances in traffic flow and the smell of new tar -- all in the
hottest, busiest time of the year. I cannot, for the life of me,
understand why this was the chosen time for this work. We had a very
dry winter and a long spring when all of this could have been done,
so we could have enjoyed the summer. According to the signs, the work
will be completed just in time for the end of summer -- September.
I am very disappointed in the lack of foresight in this decision.
And the lack of taking the needs of residents into account.
VICKI WEISSLER
Laguna Beach
Thank you for caring for me and Dylan
On July 29 my 13 1/2-year-old Golden Retriever, Dylan, died.
Since he was a pup one of our daily rituals was running in the
morning on the beach from the “Hole in the Wall” to Main Beach and
back. In his early years Dylan proudly carried his leash in his mouth
as he ran beside me. Later, when his arthritis and age prevented him
from running, he would trail me by half a block. I would run in
circles, observing him greet other dogs, walkers and runners with his
feathered tail wagging. One of his favorite pastimes was looking for
food. He knew where every street person hid food in the rocks and
along the outskirts on the sand. I ended up buying them many a
replacement meal. They all knew him and delighted in sharing food and
affection with him.
After our run he could be found playing a game where he would push
two tennis balls downhill to me and I would roll them back up. It
took him years to teach me that game and I’m still not sure who
enjoyed it more -- him or me. Kids would pull on him, climb on him
and try to take his balls. He was always gentle with them and would
cry if they stopped playing with him.
Out-of-towners, who made yearly trips to Laguna, would remember
him and say that it made them feel secure and happy knowing he would
be there. During the day at work he sat next to clients who came to
visit me in my psychotherapy office here in town. When they cried or
were hurting, he would sit close to them, nuzzle them and often
snatch their tear-drenched Kleenex from their hands and eat it before
we could stop him. He was truly a medicine dog and brought joy and
healing to many.
I knew the end was near when he could no longer climb the stairs
to the second-floor bedroom where he slept. Many nights I would carry
him up the stairs so he could sleep close to my wife, the cat and me.
His eyes and breath let us know when it was time.
The vet confirmed he had a tumor on his lungs, which made it hard
for him to breathe. Our sadness was profound. We took him home and
arranged for our vet to come to our house later that day so Dylan
could die at home. My wife, Mary, removed his collar and made a
necklace with her hair, my hair and our cat’s hair tied to string and
hung it around his neck so part of us would be with him as he
traveled in to the great mystery.
We drummed, sang songs, held him and mostly cried in the hours
before the vet came. I felt a peace for all of us when his suffering
ended with his last breath.
Thank you Dr. Leven and Dr. K and the Laguna Beach Animal Hospital
team. Also, I cannot say enough to the many beach people and town
folds who held me, hugged me, cried with me and prayed for us when I
tearfully did my beach run the next day and responded to their
question of “Where’s Dylan?” Most of them didn’t even know my name,
yet they shared their love and tears with me. The outpouring of care,
affection and condolences from the beach community, family friends
and neighbors has been incredible.
I also want to thank Joy and the others from Animal Control, who,
even though they wrote me many off-leash tickets over the years, were
always kind and caring.
I have been deeply touched and humbled by the outpouring of love.
I feel very blessed to be part of this community. Thank you all!
STUART BLOOM
Laguna Beach
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