Report on Public Workshop [Catherine Tyrrell, Jaime Kooser]

The workshop was held on November 5, 1998, in Agoura Hills as part of the California Coastal Commission’s monthly meeting. We have received positive feedback from Peter Douglas and the commissioners. We have a transcript of the proceedings, which will be included as an attachment in the Report to the Legislature. There was no public comment from any parties that are not already part of the Task Force. We may want to consider holding next year’s workshop at a better location and later in the day (rather than 8 am) to encourage others to attend.

Strategy Development Committee Updates

1) Watershed Management and Source Reduction [Mark Gold, Catherine Tyrrell]

The committee has developed a list of the pollutants of concern for each watershed of interest (Ballona Creek, Los Angeles River, Dominguez Channel, San Gabriel River). We are reviewing existing stormwater data to try to establish a link to sediment contamination and find control measures to remove the problem pollutants. The Army Corps of Engineers will be awarding a contract soon to hire a consultant to assist with this effort. The next meeting is scheduled for 10 am on December 10, 1998, at the Regional Board office in Monterey Park.

2) Upland Disposal and Beneficial Re-Use [Michael Lyons]

The group has reviewed several disposal and reuse alternatives. Disposal in landfills or use of sediments as daily cover does not seem too promising, due to a lack of capacity and potential for contamination of groundwater with chlorides from the sediments. Brownfield remediation sites should be able to accept some contaminated sediments; we are working on a list of available sites and criteria for disposal. Treatment and re-use appears to be technologically feasible (e.g., physical separation, concrete stabilization), but may be expensive. We are working on criteria for constructed fill projects, since these appear to be a feasible disposal alternative. We should have a preliminary evaluation of disposal alternatives by February to present to the Task Force.

The next meeting is scheduled for December 22, 1998, at 10 am at the Regional Board office in Monterey Park.

3) Aquatic Disposal and Dredging Operations [Tony Risko]

The committee has not met for the past few months. We plan to hold the next meeting in conjunction with a teleconference with the Waterways Experimental Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi, probably in mid-December or early January, to review their modeling studies related to subaqueous capping and confined aquatic disposal sites.

4) Sediment Screening Thresholds [Steven John – previous communication]

The workplan for this committee was distributed at the Task Force meeting. We plan to hold a workshop with invited experts from NOAA, Puget Sound Sediment Disposal Association and others to discuss the need for and method to develop sediment criteria.

5) Implementation [Lauma Jurkevics]

The group met at the end of September. Ralph Appy and Tom Johnson are assembling a flow chart describing the existing permit review/processing procedures for dredging applications. The next meeting is scheduled for 10 am on December 16, 1998, at the Coastal Commission office in Long Beach.

Dry Run of Slide Slow Presentation for Executive Committee meeting [Lauma Jurkevics]

The slide slow was very impressive. The Task Force made a few suggestions to incorporate additional material concerning the scope of the problem and potential disposal alternatives, and to separate the funding issues as a separate discussion. Jaime Kooser and Lauma Jurkevics will finalize the presentation for the December 3, 1998, meeting.

Review of Report to Legislature [Lauma Jurkevics]

The Task Force discussed whether to format the report as a memorandum (less formal presentation) or a bound report (more formal presentation). We decided to produce a report, but to keep it concise. Catherine Tyrrell and Michael Lyons will incorporate the material developed by the Coastal Commission into a report format and be responsible for final production and distribution of the document.

Outstanding Issues [All]

The MOU has been signed by all parties, with the exception of the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors. Catherine Tyrrell will send a letter to Stan Wiesnewski requesting his cooperation in signing the agreement as soon as possible.

The Army Corps of Engineers is planning to dredge both the Ballona Creek Entrance Channel and the Los Angeles River Estuary in the near future. An opportunity exists to dispose of this material in the Port of Long Beach’s Pier E Slip Fill project. However, there are logistical issues to be resolved, particularly the timing of the dredging. We need input from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether there is any flexibility in the normal prohibition against dredging and disposal from mid-April to mid-October. Catherine Tyrrell will arrange a meeting with USFWS and others for early December to resolve this issue.

Future Task Force Meetings

December 3, 1998; 9 am to 11 am (Port of Long Beach); boat tour afterwards
January 15, 1998; 10 am to noon (Port of Los Angeles)