Cleaning Up Santa Monica Bay
After a relaxing day at Santa Monica Beach with the family—playing in the sand and swimming in the bay, what will the kids bring home?
a. Seashells, driftwood, kelp?
b. Upset stomachs, ear infections, full-body rashes?
Either type of souvenir is available.
Under our world-famous icon, the Santa Monica Pier, swirls the second most polluted ocean water in California, according to Heal the Bay’s annual Beach Report Card. Santa Monica residents and visitors are swimming in dangerous levels of fecal matter! The kids’ sand castles aren’t too healthy either, because fecal bacteria (from pigeons, pets, and humans) builds up on the beach.
2004-2008: WHAT’S BEEN DONE
• Most of the pollution in Santa Monica Bay and on the beach comes from urban runoff in storm drains, the pier storm drain just south of the pier being the worst offender. Two years ago, Bobby Shriver helped manage the successful campaign to pass Measure V, a parcel tax expected to raise more than $60 million to clean urban runoff before it enters the bay and have the ground absorb more water, keeping it from delivering contaminants to the bay.
• Nearly two years later, $2.5 million has been collected, and the bay is as polluted as ever.
• Small steps forward: An interim program manager has been hired and city staff continues to plan improvements. A firm will be selected soon to design improvements to the pier storm drain. A citizens’ oversight committee is about to be selected to audit expenditures of Measure V revenues.
• One major source of bay pollution was removed: The Council voted to ban the use of all nonrecyclable plastic take-out food containers, which tend to end up on the beach and in the water.
2008-2012: TO DO
1. Push for the pier storm drain improvements to be made before Memorial Day 2009. Then the beach and water will be clean and safe before the one hundredth anniversary of the pier next summer.
2. Keep pressing the Measure V Steering Committee, composed of consultants and city staff, to accelerate the planning process, so the City is ready to act as soon as funds come in.
3. Hold the City to a two-year deadline for fixing the Pico-Kenter storm drain.
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