Change Would Divert Runoff to Sewer Line

Answering complaints from two powerful agencies and environmentalists, the Irvine Co. is planning to divert runoff from a development above Crystal Cove State Park into a sewer system instead of two creeks.

“Given the heightened concern about water quality in the Crystal Cove area, we offered to take this added measure,” Irvine Co. spokesman Paul Kranhold said.

The developer had planned to drain runoff from an 800-home project under construction above the state park through Los Trancos and Muddy Canyon creeks, which flow across state beaches into the ocean.

The ocean water and reefs there are designated as having special biological significance. But the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board exempted the proposal from state requirements that protect such areas because the water was being channeled into two creeks and not directly into the ocean.

This distinction drew scrutiny from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Coastal Commission. The EPA asked the state to withhold any action until the federal agency could review the plan; the Coastal Commission intends to hold a special hearing about it in December. On Monday, the Orange County Coastkeeper, a new environmental group, also filed an appeal of the water quality board’s decision.

This week, the Irvine Co. announced it is proposing to divert runoff to an existing sewer line that leads to a treatment plant in Huntington Beach.

Irvine Co. officials have presented the idea to environmental leaders, who are reviewing it, and plan to submit a revised proposal to the Coastal Commission this week.

Susan Jordan, a board member of the League for Coastal Protection, said she has asked water experts to analyze the Irvine Co.’s proposal.

“We think these are all improvements, these are good first steps,” she said. “We need to take a closer look. I’m not sure that what they’re proposing is sufficient.”

Indeed, environmentalists are concerned the Irvine Co. has not found a way to keep runoff from flowing into the creeks during storms. The sewer line does not have the capacity to handle heavy water flow.

“We need to talk about wet-weather runoffs,” said Garry Brown of the Orange County Coastkeeper. “We don’t want any more pollution or discharges into Crystal Cove that are going to degrade the quality of the water.”

The developer has also decided to install a filtering system near the planned retail center on the Pacific Coast Highway to catch 97% of oil and other chemicals that fall from vehicles and are washed into storm drains. Also, the center’s parking lot will be vacuumed six times a week, Kranhold said, adding that these measures will keep most automobile contaminants from reaching the ocean.

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Crystal Cove Proposal

Irvine Co. has offered to divert runoff from an 800-home development above Crystal Cove State Park into a sewer line. The developer’s previous plan--to send it through two creeks across a state beach into the ocean--was met with alarm by government agencies and environmentalists. While activists say the new proposal is a step in the right direction, they still fear for water quality because the sewer line will not have the capacity to handle extra runoff during storms.