TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with the Climate, Environment, and Coastal Protection Committee to report on environmental, public health, social, fiscal and economic impacts on the City of Long Beach from sewage spills; and, provide a progress report on the City’s projects funded by Measure W and projects countywide related to eliminating sewage from entering our water ways and ocean, within 120 days;
Request City Manager work with the Regional Water Quality Control Board and any other enforcement agencies to prepare a report on recent sewage spills in Long Beach which violated the Clean Water Act and/or other related regulations which such report shall include: name of responsible agency or entity, date of occurrence, date(s) of any water area closures, amount of sewage spilled, and impact costs reported; and
Request City Manager work with the City Attorney to research and provide options for the City to seek compensatory damages and reimbursement for costs incurred by the City related to sewage spills.
DISCUSSION
There has been a strong push to expeditiously address factors damaging our environment and I believe we must have a similar sense of urgency to address sewage entering our waterways and
oceans.
On April 22nd, thousands of Southern California residents celebrated Earth Day by going to beaches for cleanup activities and to get outside to take advantage of the warm weather. On this same day in Long Beach, our residents were faced with the irony that waters were closed on Earth Day because 250,000 gallons of sewage entered our ocean from the Los Angeles River. This comes in the wake of 18,000 gallons of sewage entering our waterways and ocean in March which also closed our beaches.
I appreciate the leaders who advocated for the passing of Measure W which is making significant investments in Los Angeles County’s wastewater system. These leaders recognized sewage spills have much greater impacts than closing the beach for a coup...
Click here for full text