Sewage Seepage Ignored, Report Says
In a new report, regional water quality officials accuse Orange County and Laguna Niguel of ignoring evidence that raw sewage was seeping into Aliso Creek.
Backing claims of local environmentalists, the staff of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board says local officials have known for at least seven months that untreated human waste, rather than just animal waste, is fouling the creek--a charge local leaders vehemently deny.
“It’s typical misinformation and people jumping to conclusions based on the misinformation,” said Ken Montgomery, director of public works for Laguna Niguel.
Meanwhile, local officials are setting the stage for a bureaucratic battle over the creek by seeking to overturn a cleanup order from the regional board.
City and county officials have filed formal petitions seeking to overturn the December order, saying it interferes with work already underway and could kill future grants for cleanup projects.
Aliso Creek drains more than 34 square miles of Orange County from the Santa Ana Mountains to the ocean. It is one of the county’s most polluted waterways.
The December order calls for submission of a cleanup plan by Feb. 11.
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