Safeguards Along the Shore

* Re “Our Shoreline Is Worth Protecting,” Orange County Perspective, Feb. 4:

Your editorial was right on point. I too share many of the concerns expressed by you concerning the need to protect and safeguard our ocean and beaches.

The 67th Assembly District is bounded on the north by the San Gabriel River and on the south by the Santa Ana River. The district is literally the “drainpipe” for a huge watershed that stretches all the way to the San Gabriel Mountains. This is why I introduced Assembly Bill 15 in an effort to provide funding to deal with the problem of urban runoff. I have also worked closely with the governor’s office on this issue. I am pleased that the governor has seen fit to include $100 million in his proposed budget to deal with the issue of urban runoff.

On another topic of local interest, I am confident that pending legislation designed specifically to help AES Corp. “fast-track” their approval process for their Huntington Beach power plant will contain language to retain local control and oversight. I am well aware of the state’s need to add new electrical generating capacity, but this need has to be balanced properly against the need to protect our local environment and economy.

To simply race ahead without input from the local citizens as well as the elected officials of the city of Huntington Beach could prove to be a huge and costly mistake.

TOM HARMAN

Assemblyman, 67th District

Huntington Beach