Grand Jury Urges Cleanup Measures for Harbors

The Orange County Grand Jury released a sweeping set of recommendations Wednesday aimed at reducing by half the debris and trash floating in harbors in Dana Point, Newport Beach and Huntington Harbour by 2004.

“Natural and foreign plant matter, dead animals, animal waste, trash, wood, plastics, construction materials, fast-food containers and sometimes medical waste systematically move through the county to collect in these harbors, especially after the first significant rain of the season,” the report said.

During the first storms every year, debris is washed from storm drains and channels into each of the county’s harbors. While the county and the city collect tons of it each year, the grand jury said more must be done.

The grand jury issued eight recommendations to the county, including:

* Installing high-tech screening and collecting devices at flood control channels that enter these harbors;

* Creating a multilingual education program about the dangers of dumping;

* Providing $25,000 per year to Dana Point, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach for three years, for a total of $225,000, for cleanup.

Larry Paul, the county’s manager of coastal facilities, said that more analysis is needed before his department can say whether the 50% reduction by 2004 is achievable.

He noted that major work already has been done, including adding floating booms that capture debris at storm channel entrances in Huntington Harbour and in Newport Beach.

“Trash and water quality is not just a problem in the harbors,” Supervisor Thomas Wilson said. “It’s something the whole county has to be concerned about.”

But Dave Kiff, a deputy city manager for Newport Beach, said the report is “right on target.”

“They raise some good concerns about trash that should be addressed,” he said.

Health officials and activists noted that the dangers--pathogens, toxins and chemicals--are invisible.

“The bacteria problem is what’s going to make us humans sick,” said Monica Mazur, spokeswoman for the county’s Health Care Agency.

Though activists were pleased by what they see as an initial step to reducing coastal pollution, they say much more needs to be done.

“It’s a great start,” said Bob Caustin, director of Defend the Bay, an environmental group that successfully sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for not doing enough to control pollution entering Newport Bay. “It’s a problem. We’ve all been breaking the law for decades. It’s time that all of us take responsibility and that includes the county.”