TITLE
Recommendation to request the support of the City Council for the Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure as it is currently proposed and for the City Manager to communicate our position to the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors prior to their January 15th meeting; and
Request that information and links be posted on the City’s website for residents and businesses to learn more about the Clean Water, Clean Beaches Measure along with Long Beach’s efforts to keep its beaches and water clean.
DISCUSSION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Annually, the Los Angeles River’s infamous “First Flush” brings thousands of tons of marine debris and non-point source pollution to our beaches, marina and harbor. Sadly, Long Beach is ground zero for urban runoff filled with litter and chemicals from the LA basin. What starts out as rainfall in communities as far as 40 miles away from Long Beach becomes marine debris and harmful toxins on our beaches, floating in a few feet of water off our shores and collecting in our marinas. The City of Long Beach spends millions of dollars every year and countless staff and volunteer hours, cleaning up marine debris and addressing the harmful health effects of chemical pollution, of which 95% comes from outside the city; not to mention the lost revenue associated with people’s perception of the City’s beaches and shoreline, which affects our economic development, recreation and tourism. This funding, human resources and lost revenue could be better spent on public safety and other quality of life issues.
Almost every waterway in the Los Angeles County region has been found to be contaminated with toxins, trash and pollutants at levels well above public health standards and Clean Water Act regulations. Independent, scientific water quality tests have recently determined that 7 out of the 10 most polluted beaches in California are on the Los Angeles coast. Storms and runoff from other sources carry over three million tons of trash and toxic pol...
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