Hands Across the Sand - Virtual Day of Action!
Join us for our 2021 Hands Across the Sand LIVE virtual ZOOM and FACE BOOK event! We are live this year!! Hear from our founder, our organizers and others talk about what it means to join hands against fossil fuels and promote clean energy!! MAY 15TH at 12:00pm EST. Tune in and join us! RSVP and more information here!
Protect & Enjoy – California: Give Your Mother What She Wants! (HINT: Not Plastic!) Plus More Legislation and What the Heck is a Gas Seep?
- Plastic-free Mother's Day!
- West Coast Gas Seeps!
- Plastic Pollution Legislation!
Poseidon Water Proposed Desalination Plant Clears Regional Water Board
Unfortunately, Poseidon Water came a step closer to building its controversial $1.4-billion water desalination plant in Huntington Beach on Thursday when the Santa Ana Regional Water Board approved Poseidon’s proposed permit. Boardmember deliberations focused on the adequacy of Poseidon’s marine life mitigation plan and missed the point that Orange County does not need Poseidon’s costly water. The plant’s impacts are unjustifiable because less environmentally harmful and cheaper options exist to fulfill Orange County’s water supply needs. The LA Times reports - Poseidon water desalination permit awarded on 4-3 vote.
For a sustainable future, we must prioritize water supply projects that are economically and environmentally sound — like expanding the local Groundwater Replenishment System and investing in conservation programs.
Though it received approval from the Santa Ana Regional Water Board, Poseidon still has to obtain a permit from the California Coastal Commission before it can negotiate a contract to sell desalinated water to the Orange County Water District and begin construction of the facility. We will keep you posted on the timing for the California Coastal Commission meeting. If you’re interested in getting involved, please contact Mandy and msackett@surfrider.org.
DDT off California's Coast!
Absolutely horrifying - “This mission confirms my worst fear: that possibly hundreds of thousands of barrels and DDT-laced sediment were dumped just 12 miles off our coast”. - LA Times reports.
April Coastal Commission Report
The April Coastal Commission took place on Wednesday, April 14 through Friday, April 16 with a special meeting on Thursday, April 22. On Wednesday, the Commission approved the City of Ventura’s proposed coastal development permit for phase 2 of the Surfer’s Point Managed Retreat project. On Thursday, the Commission approved the City of Half Moon Bay’s proposed land use plan update which included a full overhaul of the document. The Commission concurred with the National Park Service’s 2020 General Management Plan Amendment for Point Reyes National Seashore - a plan that drew tens of thousands of written comments and hundreds of speakers. Check out the full report at www.ActCoastal.org!
Court Victory for Beach Access Rights in California Lent Case
The California Court of Appeals ruled in favor of public beach access last week, after a private homeowner in Malibu spent several years blatantly violating the Coastal Act. The property in question was listed as a vacation rental with a “private beach” and was priced at over $1,000 a night, when in fact the homeowner had illegally blocked all public access to the beach. The court ruled that the California Coastal Commission was justified in fining the homeowner $4,185,000 for these violations, and while this is a hefty fine it is only half of the maximum fine allowed to be issued for this type of violation. Read more about the court case here.