Setting Record Straight on Santa Monica Bay

How bad or good are the waters off Southern California? If we’re to believe the latest state-funded study released last week, conditions are improving. According to its spokesman, Gerald Pollack: “Most areas have little contamination. We hope this eases people’s anxiety. We don’t want them to stop eating fish because it is a food that is good for their health.” Pollack went on to identify white croaker and two other “bottom-dwelling” species as ones to avoid or eat in moderation if caught in Santa Monica Bay.

Yet, some would have us believe otherwise. State Assemblyman Tom Hayden, a leading proponent of the study, responded with a blanket statement that no doubt has many scratching their heads, saying “Whom do we trust?” According to Hayden, “This scientific study now establishes beyond any doubt that Santa Monica Bay pollution is so bad that humans are at risk from eating fish that live in its waters.”

Mr. Hayden should reread his own study before causing such alarm. The study said certain species should be eaten in moderation or avoided altogether if caught in the water between Point Dume and Dana Point. But there were only five species named! A lesson in geography is also in order. The last time I checked, Santa Monica Bay stretched from Malibu south to Palos Verdes. South of that, at White’s Point and San Pedro and Long Beach harbors, were the areas identified in the study as most polluted.

As a longtime South Bay resident, and one concerned with the environment and our peaceful coexistence with it, I think it’s important the record be set straight. Such studies are valuable. They tell us how far we’ve come in dealing with the environmental challenges we’ve created and face. But they are not soapboxes to be used for grandstanding or, more importantly, confusing the public.

GORDON McRAE JR.

President

Redondo Beach Marina