San Diego Sewage Decision May Affect O.C.
In a move that could signal trouble for the Orange County Sanitation District, the California Coastal Commission voted 6 to 1 Monday to oppose a waiver that allows San Diego to dump dirtier sewage into the ocean than nearly all of the nation’s 16,000 sanitation agencies.
The Orange County district, based in Fountain Valley, has a similar waiver that expires in 2003, and its board will decide this year whether to seek renewal from state and federal water officials.
Local environmentalists celebrated the commission’s vote, which came after a two-hour public hearing in Santa Barbara.
“This is great news and good ammo for us,” wrote Jan Vandersloot, a local waiver opponent, in e-mails sent to environmentalists and others across Orange County.
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