NEWPORT BEACH : Worried Sick Over Storm Trash in Bay

The recent storms in the county have left in their wake concerns among residents about the tons of trash carried by floodwaters into Newport Bay.

The bay--a popular recreation spot into which spill-off from about one-third of the county’s waterways flows--was filled with excess sewage, vegetation and debris by storm-generated floodwaters and remains closed.

County health officials hope to reopen the bay in coming weeks, but residents remain concerned about the trash’s residue.

“When you see the quantity, it’s horrendous,” said Ben Schmid, who has a view of the bay from his Balboa Island home. “This is not healthy stuff. And where do you think it goes? Either you pick it up or it sinks.”

The debris is from parts of Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Tustin and Orange and includes tree branches, leaves, lawn trimmings, Styrofoam containers and old furniture.

Newport Beach Marine Department Director David Harshbarger agreed with residents that it looks bad. “They’re absolutely right,” he said. “We’ve been hauling tons of material out.”

But Harshbarger and other officials said their was little likelihood of long-term ecological damage to the bay. Jerry Thibeault, executive official of the regional water quality control board, said the debris is more an eyesore than a hazard.

“The bay is closed for a good reason,” Thibeault said. “That (sewage) is a very serious situation. (But) the debris is not a water-quality problem, it’s an aesthetic problem. It’s just not very attractive.”

Much of the gunk was caught by log booms, semi-permanent blockades across the bay that collect garbage flowing downstream. But one boom was swept ashore during the storm and much of the debris escaped.

Also, some of the mess is still floating near shore and needs to be either pushed out to sea or “cattle-prodded” to shore, where it can be collected by hand, Harshbarger said.

Since the storms, the city has hired additional workers to help remove the debris. About 15 tons had been collected as of Friday.

Crews worked the area near the Balboa Peninsula during the week after the storms and hope to begin hand-collecting garbage near Balboa Island next week. Crews hope to have most of the debris picked up within a few weeks.