Los Angeles Basin Contaminated Sediments Task Force

Summary of the Implementation Committee Meeting
May 4, 1999

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Attendees:

Michael Lyons, Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
Terri Ely, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Regulatory
Tom Johnson, Port of Long Beach
Ralph Appy, Port of Los Angeles
Lauma Jurkevics, California Coastal Commission
Tracy Wilcox, University of California – Los Angeles
Dennis Eschen, City of Long Beach
Mitzy Taggart, Heal the Bay

Funding

Regional Board budget augmentation: CalEPA did not approve sending the Regional Board funding letter to Karnette and Lowenthal but CalEPA would accept the money if given. Peter Douglas will meet with Winston Hickox to discuss this issue. Michael recommended that the Coastal Commission send a support letter to the legislators on behalf of the Regional Board.

Corps’ $400,000 request (C-MANC supported): The Task Force letter of support (signed by the CCC and LA Regional Board) has been sent. Not much is known about the status of this funding, other than articles in Engineering News-Record on the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). According to the Feb. 8 issue, the WRDA still faces an obstacle involving flood control near Sacramento. However, the American Association of Port Authorities is hopeful for a 1999 WRDA. Meanwhile, the Apr. 5 issue indicated that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee cleared a WRDA bill in March. This bill authorizes 41 new Corps projects (which ones we don’t know).

NOAA funding: For FY 2000 budget, NOAA through the Lands Legacy Initiative is asking support for $10 million for coastal dredging and restoration. This would include projects having beneficial re-use or environmentally safe disposal. This funding complements other Lands Legacy projects in protecting ocean and coastal resources. Handouts were provided to the members. One was a NOAA fact sheet. The other was a Coastal States Organization Fax Alert on this subject. Members thought there could be potential also to tap into the Clean Water Initiative dealing with coastal nonpoint pollution, as well as identify confined aquatic disposal sites as a beneficial re-use of coastal waters (making such waters more biologically productive). The ports were going to send support letters for this NOAA funding.

Other funding: It was recommended we look into getting money through the Water Bond. There appears to be an Assembly Bill 18, which could provide $25 million for projects in Santa Monica Bay and be in effect March 2000.

Strategy Adoption Process Report

Michael provided an outline for the report, which identified the concerns, actions, process, and timelines for the four regulatory agencies. A report will be drafted for the June meeting. Meanwhile, focus was on CEQA/NEPA issues. In terms of applying environmental laws to the strategy, we would need to determine what would be defined as the project, which would include the project description, total material to be dredged, and the timeframe for disposal. Perhaps a joint EIR/EIS is the way to go since the Corps appears to be heading in that direction. With regard to the Coastal Commission, guidelines identified in the strategy might be exempt from CEQA. However, the local agencies may need to apply CEQA in their Local Coastal Programs because those agencies issue building permits. The Port of Long Beach indicated that their CEQA documents covered impacts but not detail. The Port of Los Angeles would begin a CEQA process when a certain percentage of a design has been reached.

Streamlining Report

Copies of the 4/7/99 and 5/4/99 versions of the draft streamlining report were provided to the members. The 5/4 draft identified four components: purpose; problems; agencies’ authorities; and solutions. The report still needed the Regional Board’s text on the permit processes and ideas for implementing a strategy, and USEPA’s text on the latter as it relates to USEPA’s regulatory function. However, discussion primarily focused on the 19 permit streamlining ideas mentioned at the March meeting and identified in the 4/7 draft document. Members recommended eliminating some of the proposed streamlining ideas and refining the language for others.

Next meeting

June 9, 1999 - 10:00 am – noon, Coastal Commission office (Long Beach)


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