Waste Treatment Waiver Is Behind Ocean Fouling

I am no scientist, but as a member of the Orange County Ocean Outfall Group (a citizens volunteer advisory committee), I have had time to look at Huntington Beach’s ocean contamination problem carefully. Although it is true that Talbert Marsh doesn’t meander as it did before the coast was developed, and so does not have time to filter out bird droppings, this is no reason to turn a blind eye to what our group believes to be the real problem--the Orange County Sanitation District’s outfall pipe.

This pipe is not only spewing millions of gallons of poorly and moderately treated sewage per hour, but the district has been operating under a waiver of the Federal Clean Water Act since 1985, and so has avoided the secondary treatment of waste the Federal Clean Water Act calls for.

This waiver, we believe, is the problem. The good news? The waiver comes up for review every five years, and this time when it does--December 2002--it must be denied! Then, we suspect, you will see a huge improvement in the quality of water at our coast.

We invite everyone to get involved. More information? Please log onto www.littleshell.org. And please, everyone . . . give the nice little birdies a break.

Joey Racano

Huntington Beach