In Storms' Wake, Record Pollution Levels For California Beaches

[hatrack]

SAN DIEGO - Record rains over the past year in California brought unusually high levels of pollutants to the state's legendary beaches, a study released on Wednesday found. In its annual "Beach Report Card", Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based environmental group, gave 90 percent of California's 463 monitored beaches grades of C, D or F following inclement weather.

"That tells us we're not doing our job of reducing storm water pollution," said Mark Gold, the executive director for the group. "California's efforts to protect public health at the beach have been woefully inadequate."

Storm drain run-off polluted the most, followed by sewage spills, said the report, which recommended that swimmers wait at least three days before taking to the waters after storms.

EDIT

The study used data gathered by county health departments, local clean water groups and state testing at 346 locations to grade beaches. The 10 worst beaches include four in Los Angeles County, two in San Diego county and two in Orange County -- all in the southern part of the state which promotes an image of sun, surf and fun. Several are well-known tourist spots, including beaches in Malibu and Redondo Beach, Catalina Island and Paradise Cove in Los Angeles. One of the two worst is a beach just north of the Mexican border, in Imperial Beach, which is polluted by Mexican sewage and run-off from the Tijuana slough."

EDIT

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30968/story.htm

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Nothing new there

Point Loma has been a problem since the 80's..the sewer drain leaks there even in good weather..and the problems between Newport and Hntington where the Santa Ana river drains are always an issue...I've got the history of eye infections and ear infections to prove it...and it was our group, the Surfrider Foundation that finally convinced them to even regularly test bacteria levels

[getmeouttahere]

2. Makes me sick....

if we can't protect our oceans, what will we protect?

Having grown up in Oregon, I could never understand the amounts of litter I have seen, even at beaches, in my 12 years in L.A. Honestly, people, what posseses you to litter? Why can't you keep it in your pocket or in your car until you find a trash can? Are you that lazy?

[Nihil]

3. Not just California

Heard a report on the radio whilst driving in this morning:

Apparently only 26 UK beaches got the highest "clean" EU standard
in 2004 compared to 52 in the previous year. This was explained
by the surveys being carried out in August, just after a particularly
heavy period of rain ... the additional agricultural runoff combined
with the sewage overflow to produce a high level of pollution.

Oh joy ...