TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager to execute an agreement and amendments thereto with the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) regarding the City of Long Beach’s participation in, and $7,527.50 contribution towards, the development of a coordinated implementation plan to reduce the amount of metals pollutants in Reach 2 of the Los Angeles River and its associated tributaries. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
In 1972, the Federal Clean Water Act (Act) was signed into law with the purpose of improving water quality in rivers, streams and lakes primarily through regulation of point source discharges. Although great efforts through the implementation of this Act by the State's regional water quality boards have been made in restoring our State's water quality, there remains impaired water bodies that need attention. Several segments, or reaches, of the Los Angeles River have been identified by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region, (Regional Board) as having exceeded water quality thresholds for a variety of metals. For these impaired bodies of water, the Act requires that Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) limits be developed to restore the impaired water bodies to their full beneficial uses. In September 2007, the Regional Board adopted a TMDL, which limits the amount of heavy metals such as copper, lead, zinc and cadmium that can be carried by runoff into the Los Angeles River.
Coordinated Implementation Plan
The TMDL's adopted by the Regional Board require that Los Angeles River watershed cities and agencies develop a coordinated implementation plan to reduce the amount of metals pollutants in the Los Angeles River and its tributaries. Because the Los Angeles River watershed is so extensive, the Regional Board has divided the Los Angeles River into six different jurisdictional groups or reaches for purposes of implementing the required TMDL's. Long Beach falls within Reach 1 and Reach 2. This request for authori...
Click here for full text