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Records of the Council on Environmental Quality (Clinton Administration)
Kathleen McGinty's Files
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FOIA Number: 2012-0769-F
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Council on Environmental Quality
Series/Staff Member:
Kathleen (Katie) McGinty
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
2886
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Folder Title:
California
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61
5
9
2
5
TUE
Los Angeles Times
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23. 1993
County Agrees to Improve
Sewage Treatment
Environment: Advanced treatment system will be built by 2002 at
a $400-million cost to ratepayers. Agreement caps 15-year mg of war.
By MARLA CONE
TIMES ENVIRONMENTAL WRITER
The new treatment system, to be built at
"We fully expect the marine
the county's sanitation plant in Carson,
community off the Palos Verdes
Becoming one of the last urban areas in
must he operating by July 1, 2002. or the
shell to begin recovery within 10 to
the nation to step up its cleansing of cowage
county must pay another $1 million fine.
20 years."
discharged into the ocean, Los Angeles
The agreement culminates a lawsult filed
Micle said the sanitation agency
County has agreed, after 15 years of battling
by the U.S. Environmental Protection
hires researchers who study the
federal law, to build a $-100-million ad.
Agency. the Heal the Bay environmental
impact on marine life, "and It has
vanced treatment system.
organization. the Natural Resources De-
been, and still is. our opinion that
fense Council and the state's regional water
our present discharge is absolutely
The county also agreed to pay $2.7
board.
million in penalties for violating the Clean
The settlement is not yet final, because
adequate to protect the environ-
Water Act, which requires that all sewage
the EPA and the water board have not
ment. But it's no question that
released into waterways receive secondary
officially signed off on it. But attorneys
public opinion weighed in our deci-
treatment. an advanced cleansing process
from both agencies have orally agreed and
sion to go to full secondary treat-
ment."
protect marine life.
the sanitation board and two environmen-
Secondary treatment is a biolog-
Environmentalists from Heal the Bay
ta! groups signed the settlement earlier this
ical cleansing process that gobbles
month.
and the Natural Resources Defense Coun-
up and decomposes organic materi-
cil, who have been trying for years to
The penalties include $300.000 to the
al and creates a studge. which is
persuade the county to comply. called the
federal government. $200,000 to the state
hauled to a landfill Instead of
water board. $1.2 million to im-
agreement a major step in cleaning up
purped into the ocean.
ocean waters off Southern California.
prove Los Angeles County's pro-
The technique generally makes
"This is the single largest source of
gram to collect houschold hazard.
the ocean cleaner for marine life.
pollution into Santa Monica Bay, and the
ous wastes and $1 million for an
but is of little benefit to the health
bay is one of the most cherished and most
expanded water reclamation pro-
of humans because all sewage dis-
used water resources in the entire coun-
gram. The NRDC also gets
charged from the plant already is
try," said NRDC attorney Mitch Bernard.
$200.000 to cover legal fees.
disinfected to kill bacteria and
Under the agreement, all 330
"The law requires a certain level of
viruses. Some bottom-divelling
million gallons of human and in-
marine creatures vanish from sites
cleanliness. and that law has been violated
dustrial waste that flow daily from
where partially treated waste is
by the county for a long time. So this Is a
the Carson sanitation plant into the
discharged. while others become
huge victory for the citizens."
ocean about a mile off the Palos
more abundant.
The Los Angeles County Sanitation Dis-
Verdes Peninsula must undergo
The county has resisted expand-
tricts' 2 million ratepayers will pick up the
secondary treatment. Currently,
ing Its waste water treatment since
tab. with each household paying $200 over
60% of the waste undergoes the
1977, the deadline Congress set for
20 years. plus $5 to $10 annually in
treatment. which removes a larger
municipalities to comply with the
operating expenses. said Bob Micle, head of
proportion of organic matter, oily
Clean Water Act. Los Angeles
technical services at the sanitation agency.
contaminants and toxic metals in
County applied for a special waiver
County sanitation officials say they ar-
the waste flushed by houscholds
in 1979. and the EPA took until
gued so long and vigorously to get an
and businesses.
1990 to deny the request, Heal the
exemption from the federal law, not only to
The expanded treatment will
Bay and the NRDC notified the
save residents from the expense. but also
eliminate half of the solid wastes.
county two years ago that they
because they believe the waste water
already is sufficiently treated to protect the
about 35 million pounds per year.
intended to sue, and the EPA
that the county sanitation plant
stepped in to file the suit In Janu-
environment.
ary, 1992.
"This is $400 million that will come out of
currently releases into the ocean.
according to sanitation district da-
"There's no question citizens
the pockets of the public." Micle said. "If
ta.
made this happen." said the
you had that much to spend in this
"Removing that much pollution
NRDC's Bernard. "The fact that
mmunity. would you spend it to take
will be a tremendous boon to
citizens initiated and pursued the
ds out of the ocean 50 we have a
marine life." said Mark Gold, staff
process makes it an even bigger
calthier environment for clams and other
Victory."
scientist for Heal the Bay, based in
organisms. or would you spend it on health
Santa Monica.
care or child care or drug prevention?"
2
TUE
3
Los Angeles Times
Westside
THURSDAY
AUGUST 12, 1993
Herring suggested that miscom-
munication at the county level may
DeLano said that even in dry
Cities May Face
Create programs to encourage
be the root of the complaint. He
weather. about 25 million gallons of
residents and business owners to
noted that technical data sought by
untreated runoff flows into Santa
keep their driveways and side-
the group-such as the locations of
Monica Bay every day, in a rain-
walks clean, so when it rains the
Lawsuits Over
possible hazardous materials and a
storm, runoff can swell to 10 billion
debris will not be swept into the
map of Culver City's storm drain-
gallons a day. With that water
storm drains.
age system-was forwarded in
come posticides washed off lawns,
Storm Runoff
1990 to the Los Angeles County
motor oil from driveways, pet
Provide regular cleaning of
Department of Public Works.
droppings. toxic heavy metals and
city catch basins.
tons of trash.
Set up inspection programs for
WESTSIDE
which oversees the region's storm
drainage network. But whether the
Storm drain systems should not
auto shops, gas stations, restau-
county made that information
be confused with municipal sewer
rants and other businesses where
By GORDON DILLOW
systems, in which waste water is
debris and pollutants are common.
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
available to the council is unclear,
treated before being discharged.
Set up municipal disposal ccn-
Herring sold.
Except for material trapped in
ters for used oil and other house-
A national environmental group has put
Herring acknowledged that the
two Westside cities on notice, Clean up
city failed to provide some types of
catch basins, usually everything in
hold hazardous wastes.
runoff data going back as far as
a storm drain system makes its
your storm water, or cise.
Encourage water conservation.
The Natural Resources Defense Council
1980, but only because the city
way to the ocean without being
Westside industrial firms that
treated.
ans notified Beverly Hills and Culver City
lacked the procedures for collect-
are accused by the council of not
ing it back then.
Delano said that If cities would
at it will file lawsuits against them if they
complying with water runoff regu-
not start complying with storm-water
"They (the Natural Resources
inform their citizens and business
lations include: Blackhawk Oil
provisions of the federal Clean Water ACL
Defense Council) are procedurally
people about the dangers of urban
Company in Culver City, Coast
correct in that some of the infor-
runoff-and back up the education
Specifically, the group wants the cities to
Enameling Company in Marina del
with a little enforcement-it could
clean up "urban runoff" from lawns, road-
mation has not been provided."
Rey and Gebe Electronic Services
Herring said. "But technically it is
go a long way toward making the
Inc. in Los Angeles. Also named
ways and other sources that flows untreat-
impossible [to provide] because It
runoff, and the ocean. cleaner.
were South Bay companies Airco
cd through storm drainage systems into
Santa Monica Bay.
doesn't exist."
"If I flush my radiator into the
Gases, Allied Signal Casting, Fi-
Also threatened with lawsuits were Her-
A Beverly Hills official said
street, it's like pouring radiator
berglass Production & Tooling Inc.,
Tuesday that the complaints made
fluid directly into the ocean." Dc-
Star Biochemicals. C.P. Hall Co.
mosa Beach. El Segundo. Rancho Palos
about his city miss the mark.
Lano said. "People need to know
and Allied Signal Inc.
Verdes and Westlake Village. as well as
Beverly Hills takes fastidious
that. The problem is that unless
Caltrons and 12 private Industrial firms.
care of its streets and alleyways to
you're at the beach. It's out of sight,
Heal the Bay. a Santa Monica-
The cities and firms have 60 days to
out of mind."
keep trush and pollutants out of the
based environmental group. is join-
respond to the complaints in the "notice of
DeLano said some of the 19 cities
ing the council in its threatened
council. intent to sue" letters sent recently by the
county-owned storm drains, said
Daniel Webster. director of public
and three other government enti-
actions against the private firms,
works.
ties in the Santa Monica Bay wa-
but not against the municipalities.
"We hope this will wake them up." said
Evereu DeLano. a Natural Rc-
The group's letter contended
tershed have made progress in
Don Phillips, plant manager at
sources Defense Council attorney.
that the city failed to file reports
implementing regulations and pro-
Allied Signal in El Segundo. which
pertaining to clean water require-
grams to control urban runoff pol-
manufactures refrigerant products.
"It really Isn't that tough for them
to comply. if they want to. There's
ments, a charge that Webster dis-
lution, including the cities of Los
said in response to the threatened
putes. Some reports. such as the
Angeles and Santa Monica and Los
lawsuit "To our knowledge we are
just not that much they have to do.
Angeles County. But he said the
in compliance with all regulations."
But we definitely aren't bluffing.
monthly rainfall report. were filed
We're after compliance."
and not checked off by the county
cities that are being threatened
with lawsuits either have not made
He added. however, that the com-
Culver City Alty. Norm Herring
and other reports are in progress,
he said,
enough progress or in some cases
pany is checking the regulations to
said the city is "still evaluating"
Webster said that while the city
"haven't even begun to adopt the
make certain. Phillips said his
the council's complaint.
programs they're supposed to."
company does not have any storm
He said that the city has done its
plans to discuss the complaints
best to comply with regional runoff
with the group in a meeting facill-
The Natural Resources Defense
water runoff because "everything
Council also wants cities to:
stays within the plant."
rules and takes scriously the
tated by the county, he believes
Stencil signs near storm drain
the "Intent to sue" is an attempt to
Dennis Signorovitch. a spokes-
group's concerns.
openings to discourage people from
keep the pressure on cities to
man for Allied Signal, said the
III there's something else we can
pouring motor oil or coolant. grass
do to satisfy these folks. It's impor-
implement new programs rather
Natural Resources Defense Council
clippings, trash and other pollu-
tant to us," he said.
than an evaluation of what the
erred in saying Allied Signal Cast-
tants into the storm drain.
citles are doing now.
ing in Torrance was not in compli-
Caltrans attorney Anthony Ruf-
Sct up phone lines to receive
ance with the clean water regula-
folo said his agency has "put a lot
of effort" into complying with
dumping. reports of illegal storm drain
tions. The company, Signorovitch
said. is covered by permits issued
runoff regulations. "We're still
Increase street sweeping.
to 11.5 parent company.
studying this (notice of intent let-
Representatives of the other
from." ter] to see where they're coming
firms either declined comment on
the threatened lawsuits or could
not be reached for comment.
JAN-25-94
TUE
13:48
Cos Angeles Times
SUNDAY, JULY 5, 1992
Scientists Say
Pico-Kenter
Drain Is Clean
Environment: Water in
the befouled storm runoff
channel is now being
treated at a sewage plant.
COASTAL
A
t a news conference on the
By NANCY HILL-HOLTZMAN
sand at the end of Pico Boule-
TIMES STAFF WRITER
vard. Los Angeles Mayor Tom
Bradley and Santa Monica Mayor
It's safe to go back in the water
Ken Genser knocked down the
again.
signs that for almost two years
To prove the point. a Heal the
have warned swimmers that it was
Bay scientist plunged into the surf
unsafe to swim near the drain that
at the mouth of the Pico-Kenter
carried contaminant-filled urban
storm drain on a perfect beach day
runoff into the sca. Los Angeles
Thursday.
City Councilwoman Ruth Galanter
The swim was the finale of a
and former Santa Monica Mayor
celebration of the reopening of the
Judy Abdo, who initiated the di-
ocean near a storm drain notorious
version project that made the re-
for spewing filth into the sca.
opening possible, also were on
"Today is a day of victory and
hand.
celebration." said Adi Liberman,
The diversion is a temporary
executive director of Heal the Bay.
measure, possible because water
The celebration was possible be-
conservation in the region has
cause, except during rainstorms.
made space available at Hyperion.
the befouled water is now being
Ultimately, Santa Monica will build
diverted from the storm drain to
a reclamation plant to deal with
the Hyperion scwage plant where
waste water, known as urban run-
it is treated before it is released
off.
into the Pacific Ocean.
Abdo said she recalled the day in
The success of the cleanup effort
December, 1990, when representa-
comes none too soon. About a week
tives of a surfers' group, the Free
ago, the Santa Monica Bay Resto-
Pacific Assn.. and from Heal the
ration Project announced the re-
Bay came into her office and asked
sults of an earlier study that dc-
her to either clean up the Pico-
tected viruses confirming the
Kenter storm drain or put a plug in
presence of human feces in the
it. She took them up on it.
water near the Pico-Kenter drain,
In 1990, the water near the
as well as in two other Santa
mouth of the drain was failing Heal
Monica Bay locations. Water from
the Bay's safety tests with a grade
the drain has been directed to the
of "F."
Hyperion plant only since Memori-
On Thursday. the water made
al Day.
the honor roll.
5
TUE
Cos Angeles Times
SUNDAY
JUNE 21, 1992
The line extends from the spot
New Sewer Line Brings
near La Cienega and Rodeo to the
Hyperion plant but will eventually
become part of a 23-mile backbone
stretching to the Los Angeles-
Hope for a Cleaner Ocean
Glendale treatment plant.
Workers will repair the old sew-
er line after it dries out, and it will
from the old line earlier this
be used as a backup for the new
Environment: A
month. sending about 100 million
line.
$115-million replacement
gallons a day into the new line,
As a result of the new projects,
which extends from the cdge of the
sewer bills across Los Angeles
system promises to end
Crenshaw District to the Hyperion
have been rising steadily, and cities
Treatment Plant in Playa del Rey.
that contract with Los Angeles for
the dumping of raw
The new line has a capacity to
scwer services are not happy.
sewage into Santa
carry 500 million gallons a day.
Smith said.
In a ceremony Thursday near La
Most cities pay their sewer tab
Monica Bay.
Cienega Boulevard and Rodco
out of fees collected from individu-
Road, Los Angeles City Council-
al monthly scwer bills and from
COASTAL
woman Ruth Galanter officially
voter-approved bond issues de-
opened the scwer by tossing sever-
signed to spread the costs out over
By BERNICE HIRABAYASHI
al handfuls of rose petals and
time.
TIMES STAPF WRITER
daistes into an opening through
But many are demanding justifi-
which spectators could see the
cation for the spiraling costs. Some
Heal the Bay President Doro-
rushing river of scwage.
cities, whether on purpose or not,
thy Green wore an especially
"We were able to replace a very
are falling behind on payments.
large smile for the crowd of about
old and very sad scwer system,"
Los Angeles is suing El Segundo
200 people gathered before her
Galanter said. "I'm sure all of [my
for not paying a single sower bill in
Thursday.
constituents] will be very grateful
the past several years, Smith said.
And she had good reason. After
when this is done.
and some of
The bill now stands in excess of $2
seven years of lobbying local
those trucks go away and leave
million.
wastewater authorities to raise
them alone."
But at Thursday's press confer-
standards for treating sowage,
Jeanne Breunig, who headed the
ence, Felicia Marcus. president of
she was finally able to participate
citizens committee formed to ad-
the Los Angeles Board of Public
in the opening of a new sower line
dress concerns of residents. said
Works, drow attention to past ac-
that promises to end the dumping
the noise and dust were a nuisance
complishments, such as cleaning
of raw sewage into Santa Monica
during construction of the eight-
up sludge on the ocean floor.
Bay.
mile underground pipe.
adding that people should feel their
The North Outfall Replace-
But the city acted sensitively
sewer bill dollars are being used
ment Sewer (NORS). which took
and responsibly, she said. Several
well. This latest project. especially,
2½ years and $115 million to
families in Westchester who com-
will allow environmentalists and
build. will replace a badly deteri-
plained of loud noise from the
drought-watchers alike to rejoice
orated scwer built in the 1920s.
underground excavation, for exam-
during wet wether instead of fear-
During rainstorms, the old
ple. were moved to local hotels at
ing the scwage spills they often
scwer line routinely filled to the
city expense.
bring, she said.
brim. forcing workers to divert
Heal the Bay galvanized public
"Now it can rain, and we don't
raw scwage directly into the sca
awareness and played a major role
have to feel guilty about it," she
via Ballona Creek.
in the approval in 1985 of a $3.4-
said.
billion plan to upgrade and expand
the city's sprawling sewer system,
"T
he primary beneficiaries of
said Bradley Smith, deputy engi-
the NORS system being
neer for the City of Los Angeles.
built are the occan and the people
The system serves the Westside,
who use the ocean," said Green,
San Fernando Valley, Glendale and
whose environmental group has
Burbank.
been fighting for more than a
decade to clean up Santa Monica
I
n 1986. the state regional water
Bay. "There will no longer be
quality control board issued an
those raw scwage spills into the
emergency order requiring the city
bay."
to complete the replacement pipe-
Workers diverted the flow
line by April. 1993.
Los 5 TUE Angeles 13:50 Times
WESTSIDE, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1991
Good as Gold
Environment: Heal the Bay's staff scientist is credited with
bringing credibility to efforts to clean up Santa Monica Bay.
SANTA MONICA
By JAMES RAINEY
WARNING G
TIMES STAFF WRITER
STORM
CRAW
NO
waver
-
(*)
AUX
MAILAS
ark Gold grew up around Santa
to
M
Monica Bay.
a
As a child, he learned to swim at
Marina del Rey. Later, he hung out with
friends at Will Rogers State Beach. By
ADVERTENCIA
the time he got to high school, his family
had moved from Beverly Hills to Malibu,
MARCAS
home
will
OF
where he spent endless summers body-
ESTER
surfing at a break the locals call "Little
CERTIFICATE
EMPLOYEES
Dume."
At 28, Gold still lives for the ocean. But
now, it's his job.
staff scientist for the environmental
Heal the Bay. he has become a
in the effort to clean up Santa
Monica Bay. Respected in the activist
community and among government bu-
reaucrats and waste dischargers, Gold
has brought scientific rigor and credibil-
LISA ROMEREIN / Los Angeles Times
ity to lobbying on behalf of Los Angeles'
Mark Gold played a role in having signs installed at the Pico-Kenter drain.
reigning environmental cause.
In the process, he has helped define the
Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay was
coming from the massive Hyperion
sources and types of bay pollution-even
born in 1985, at a time when there had
Treatment Plant near El Segundo.
forcing the closure of a popular Santa
been several major sewage spills and
In 1987, a federal judge ordered the city
Monica Beach last year when he found
when bay pollution was becoming a hot
of Los Angeles to stop dumping scwage
sewage in a storm drain. Gold has also led
political issue. Although it had only a
sludge in the bay and to upgrade treat-
the fight for increased warnings to keep
handful of members. the group began to
ment at the Hyperion Plant. Heal the Bay
the public out of polluted waters, report-
publicize Santa Monica Bay pollution and
was assigned by the court to monitor
ed on the failure of local cities to properly
to fight a move by the city of Los Angeles
compliance with the landmark environ-
monitor the waste that flows into storm
to give less than full treatment to sewage
drains, and spurred negotiations for im-
proved treatment of the sewage that the
county discharges into the ocean off the
Palos Verdes Peninsula
"
A
lot of environmental groups can
send someone to a hearing to read
an impassioned letter," said Adi Liber-
man, Heal the Bay's executive director.
"But Mark is there with expert testimo-
ny. No one else [in the local environmen-
tal community] can speak with the kind
prity and respect that he can."
g Wilson, chief of the Bays and
staaries unit of the state Water Re-
sources Control Board, agreed: "Mark
brought Heal the Bay a lot of technical
information and a strong contact in the
scientific community."
TUE
13:51
GOLD: the Bay
mental agreement.
Gold quickly expanded his work
Gold's impact has been so great
"It was like we won the first
from oversight of the Hyperion
that at least one other local envi-
battle, but then the real war
improvements to a myriad of other
ronmental group, the Coalition for
starts," recalled Felicia Marcus, a
projects, including some that are
Clean Air, has been persuaded to
Heal the Bay founder who now
ongoing:
hire its own staff scientist.
helps control the sewage plant as
A comprehensive analysis of
"Mark is one of the first guys
president of the city's Board of
water in a few notorious storm
I've met who is a Ph.D.-quality
Public Works. "We had to stay in
drains. When the study, under the
scientist, but who also knows how
their face to make sure it all got
auspices of the Santa Monica Bay
to speak English," said Tim Little,
done."
Restoration Project, was released
the clean air group's executive
It was Gold, working toward a
in June, 1990, it showed that the
director. "We went out and tried to
doctorate at UCLA in Environ-
drain at the foot of Pico Boulevard
find a clone of him."
mental Science and Engineering,
had been polluted with sewage.
Even Jim Stahl, the assistant
who was chosen in 1988 to monitor
Signs and a rope with buoys
general manager of the Sanitation
the city's compliance and to act as
were subsequently installed to
Districts, who has often been at
Heal the Bay's staff scientist.
warn swimmers to stay away from.
odds with Gold in negotiations over
Gold had worked for a time for
the water near the mouth of the
the county's sewage treatment,
an environmental consulting firm.
storm drain, just south of Santa'
said: "He has attempted at all times
One of the projects he dealt with
Monica Pier. Gold recently helped
to bring science and scientific facts
there proposed turning ecological-
negotiate an agreement so the
into the decision-making process,
ly sensitive Ballona Lagoon in
polluted storm water can be redi-
rather than perception. I think it's
Venice into a marina.
rected to Hyperion for full treat-
an improvement over how things
ment.
were in the past."
thought to myself, 'What am
A survey this year that showed
Heal the Bay and Gold are not
1 doing?' Gold recalled. "It
local cities are woefully behind in
loved in all quarters, though. Some
just never seemed right. I wasn't
complying with a federal program
waste dischargers and public
comfortable doing that kind of
that requires them to measure and
health officials said the group can
work for a massive development
begin to control pollution that
still be too alarmist-not giving
project.
flows into storm drains.
enough credit for improvements in
"I had been close to Santa Moni-
Negotiations, along with a law-
sewage treatment and unduly fan-
ca Bay for a real long time," he
yer from the Natural Resources
ning public concern about the
said. "And I really wanted to apply
Defense Council, that seek to end
health impacts of swimming in
what I was learning
to some-
the dumping of partially treated
Santa Monica Bay.
thing I cared about.'
sewage by the county Sanitation
"In every organization, there is
Although they had increasing
Districts into the bay.
an audience and an agenda," said
clout and succeeded in drawing
A study that quantified house-
one official, who asked not to be
public attention to pollution in the
bay. Heal the Bay members in the
hold hazardous wastes that people
named.
early days sometimes tended to-
dump into the trash and the
ward hyperbole. Some "liked to
streets, which eventually find their
G
old counters that he would
shoot from the hip," Marcus con-
way into storm drains and, thus,
rather err on the side of cau-
ceded.
the occan.
tion by warning the public when
A protocol. soon to be consid-
there are any signs of serious
At a hearing before the Regional
ered by the Los Angeles County
contamination.
Water Quality Control Board just
Board of Supervisors, that he
He said one of his long-term
weeks before Gold was hired, for
instance. two group members in
helped write, instructing public
goals is to help settle that long-
white lab coats held aloft a smelly
officials in closing Santa Monica
running debate over the safety of
bottle of muck and declared that
Bay beaches when spills endanger
swimming in the bay, particularly
one-quarter of the underwater
the public health.
near storm drains. His drain studies
shelf off the Palos Verdes Peninsu-
Gold said he is "extremely well
already have laid the groundwork
paid" at $45,000 a year-even
for a comprehensive health survey
la was made of sewer sludge,
though he could make at least half
that would determine, once and for
observers recalled.
again as much in the private sec-
all, whether people are getting sick
"There was no serious study to
show that this was true," said one
tor-because he enjoys what he is
from swimming near the outlets.
doing. His work on storm drains
"It's something I have been
person familiar with the hearing,
who asked not to be named. "It
also will be the basis for the
pushing for since I started working
dissertation that he hopes to com-
here," Gold said. "People still are
really damaged their credibility."
plete by this summer.
asking, 'Is it safe to swim in Santa
Monica Bay?' You have people so
H
cal the Bay founding president
Dorothy Green did not recall
S
upporters say his growth as 8
polarized on that issue."
speaker and an advocate has
In the meantime, Gold still lives
that hearing at the Regional Water
been even greater than as a scien-
near the ocean-in Santa Monica
Quality Control Board and insisted
tist. "He came to us with no
with his wife, Lisette Bauersachs,
the group has always been careful
about the information it presented.
political skills," Green said. "He
an environmental engineer whom
But Green said she hired Gold,
knew the issues, but he didn't
he met in the UCLA program. And
"realizing that an organization is
know how to translate that into
he still loves to swim in the bay.
only as credible as the information
political action. Now he really
"But I follow all our good ad-
it has."
directs that whole part of the
vice," said Gold, ever the advocate.
organization."
"Which is: Don't swim within two
days of a storm and don't swim
within 100 yards of a flowing storm
"