San Diego

In a move officials believe will help the city push toward a solution, the City Council ruled Monday that the information about local sewage treatment in the Joint Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement conforms to state regulations.

Without this certification that the city’s report complied with the California Environmental Quality Act, the city would be derailed as it attempts to bring its sewage treatment in line with state and federal regulations.

Earlier this month, a federal judge fined San Diego $3 million for environmental harm caused by dumping inadequately treated waste water in the ocean. At the center of the controversy is how vigorously San Diego should treat its sewage.

In a recent ruling, a federal judge ruled that the city did not need to disinfect its sewage before pumping it into the ocean. This relieved San Diego officials, who favor extending the outfall pipeline that dumps the sewage into the ocean by 2.5 miles.

But U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials argue that sewage should be treated with chlorine or another disinfecting agent before being discharged into the ocean off Point Loma.

“Today’s action was a major step to complying with the federal law,” said Ted Bromfield, the chief deputy city attorney. “It’s a commitment to comply with the Clean Water Act.”