Officials Seek to Ease Fears on Plan to Curb Storm Runoff

Regional water quality officials moved Thursday to discount fears about the effects of a plan to curb storm water pollution, including assertions that the new regulations would contaminate ground water, halt new affordable housing projects and trigger mosquito infestations.

Wrapping up a two-day hearing in Torrance before the state water quality board, local regulators and environmentalists defended the hotly contested measure, which would require all major developments to collect or filter rainwater flowing off roofs and pavement.

“Let’s get back to reality here,” said David Nahai, chairman of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. “What we haven’t heard is any evidence that these dire consequences are true.”

The storm water measure was adopted by the Los Angeles regional board in January, at a time when state and regional water quality officials were being criticized for doing too little to keep beaches and coastal waters clean. The measure is being appealed to the state board by municipalities and business interests. If the new regulations are upheld by the state board, they will apply in Los Angeles County and could set an example for neighboring regions.

County beaches are routinely closed during winter storms and studies have found pollution as far as two miles off the coast of Santa Monica Bay. Although opponents of the runoff measure acknowledge that something needs to be done to reduce pollution, they say the current effort is misdirected.

The coalition of cities, builders and representatives of gas station owners that has appealed the plan argued Wednesday that the measure’s costs would far exceed potential water quality improvements. They said a homeowner replacing a roof or building a porch would be required to construct a costly rainwater catch basin or filtration system.

“The general thrust of this measure is not that far off,” said Desi Alvarez, public works director of Downey, one of 33 cities on the appeal petition. “There was just a rush to adopt it. . . . What needs to be done is to send this measure back to the regional board to be reworked.”

He and other critics also have said the costs of compliance would make it too expensive for developers to build affordable housing. County vector control officials told the board they feared that the measure might lead to standing water that promotes breeding of mosquitoes.

The runoff standards apply to all new commercial projects of more than 100,000 square feet, as well as parking lots with 25 or more spaces, gas stations, auto repair garages, restaurants of at least 5,000 square feet and subdivisions of at least 10 houses.

Craig Perkins, director of public works in Santa Monica, said Wednesday’s testimony was like a bad novel with tales of displaced low-income citizens and giant mosquitoes breeding in standing water.

He said his city adopted a similar measure seven years ago, with almost no negative consequences to businesses or residents. He said the costs of compliance on average equal about 1% of total construction costs. “Has one single project not been built in Santa Monica because of the severity of this mitigation? No,” he said.