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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEQCB Min 1996-04-30 ~ EQCB Minutes of April 30, 1996 . Environmental Quality Control Board Minutes April 30, 1996 Call to Order at 6:30 p.m. I. Pledge of Allegiance n. Roll Call Present: Voce, Hood, Hurley, Christ, Rosenman Also Present: Barry Curtis, Associate Planner Larry Honeyboume, Environmental Health Engineering Specialist Orange County Environmental Health m. Approval of Agenda . Motion by Rosenman; second by Hood to approve the agenda as presented. Motion Carried: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: 5-0 Voce, Hood, Christ, Hurley, Rosenman None None IV. Oral Communications - none. V. Consent Calendar - none. VI. Public Hearings - none. vu. Scheduled Matters 1. Presentations on Seal Beach Water Quality Issues (River & Ocean) a. Larry Honeybourne, Environmental Health Engineering Specialist Orange County Environmental Health b. Dr. Gordon LaBetz, Surf rider Foundation . Mr. Curtis introduced Mr. Larry Honeyboume of Orange County Environmental Health. Mr. Honeybourne provided the Board with some handouts discussing water quality issues the County deals with in Seal Beach, as well as other functions of the health care agency. Mr. Honeybourne discussed what his agency does, what the standards are, what the Page 1 MINUTES OF APRIL 30. 1996 ... . . . EQCB Minutes of April 30. 1996 situation is and what other agencies do. His division has five programs which they regulate: 1) Recreational Water; 2) Construction/Destruction of Wells; 3) Cross- COMection Inspections (Le. industrial chemicals and water); 4) ...[only 3 were listed] . His purpose today is to speak about recreational water because our City has a major recreation water resource. For recreational ocean water the cleanliness standard is coliform. Coliform is an indicator if pathogenic organisms are in the water. On the next to back page of his handout is the bacteriological standard for drinking water. These standards are 40 years old. They feel State should consider changing the standard, perhaps to a different indicator, or even someday using a gene probe technique. Coliform only indicates potential for health hazards. The health officer is governed by State statutes, and is required to evaluate water quality and take actions as necessary. For the past 30 years the County had contracted to monitor ocean waters. From Sunset Beach to Newport the county sanitation district does monitoring. Only OC Health did monitoring in Seal Beach. When the bankruptcy hit the County stopped monitoring. However, OC Sanitation Districts now does weekly monitoring in those areas the County used to monitor. Mr. Honeybourne discussed a table indicating weekly coliform levels at the various sample locations throughout the County. The standard for coliform is 1000 ppm,2 however, this is not a hard and fast rule. The rule actually is not more than 20% of the samples in a 30 day period may exceed the 1000 part standard. That's because coliform is not only generated by human waste. The samples with the highest numbers are indicative of a rain event. OC Health recommends people stay out of the water for at least 72 hours after rain. OC Health issues a beach advisory to all cities and the media every time it rains. It's a recommendation to stay out of the water, not a closure. Dr. Rosenman asked whether the County does any outreach to the schools? Mr. Honeybourne said perhaps Mr. LaBetz could better address this matter when he arrives. Mr. Honeybourne discussed beach closures. If they know human sewage is flowing continuously into the storm drain system they close the beach at that point and begin constant sampling until the levels are acceptable. Last year they formally closed Seal Beach once and so far this year it's been closed once. Dr. Rosenman asked whether anyone is looking at shellfish, lobsters, mussels, etc. Mr. Honeybourne explained that you can't take mussels from May 1 through October 31 because of a dynoflagulyte found in them which can be fatal to humans. Dr. Rosenman asked about viral contamination, i.e. hepatitis from shellfish? Mr. Honeybourne indicated that they recommend that any shellfish be properly cooked. Mr. Hurley asked ifthere aren't other things beside biological agents which can be Page 2 MINUTES OF APRIL 30. 1996 . . . EQCB Minutes of April 30, 1996 harmful? Mr. Honeybourne said chemicals for example can be in the water. Non-point source urban runoff is a big issue now. There was a study in the South Bay area where they found a small level of organic materials and small amounts of chemicals. Chemicals are a larger concern for the ecology because it generally is a long term exposure type of problem. Mr. Hurley asked ifanyone measures this? Mr. Honeybourne said County EMA is trying to determine a best management practice for non-point source discharges. Each city over 100,000 population is required to have a non-point source storm water discharge permit issued to them by the regional board. Dr. Rosenman asked whether the reduced frequency of testing has compromised anything. Mr. Honeybourne indicated that in Seal Beach the frequency hasn't changed since the bankruptcy. Dr. Rosenman asked whether the fact that many smaller cities have strained finances is causing the County concern? Mr. Honeybourne indicated that in L.A. County this is a big issue with smaller inland cities not wanting to get involved with a non-point source storm water discharge program. Chairman Voce introduced Dr. Gordon LaBetz of the Surfriders Foundation. Dr. Rosenman asked Dr. LaBetz whether the Surfriders had any outreach program for school age children. Dr. LaBetz said they do, it's available for elementary age through high school. Dr. LaBetz said he felt water testing is a waste of money. We've already established where the dirty water areas are. Seal Beach is always the dirtiest. Until tests are available for specific pathogens, it is basically a waste. He felt the moneys were better spent try to get inland cities to spend money to help clean up the beach. Maybe if inland cities have to ante up to clean the beach they'll be inclined to stop the pollution before it gets here. Long Beach is paid by the City of Los Angeles to clean up beaches from the L.A. River. Mr. Honeybourne indicated there was a project out of Newport Bay where they were going to look at categories of trash then go after major corporations to pay for the clean up of the trash they generate. He added that routine monitoring is important because occasionally there will be a sewage leak that no one has detected yet. Dr. LaBetz emphasized education, such as marking storm drains as draining to the ocean. He felt education and unpaving of the urban area, particularly rivers and storm drains, provided the greatest benefits. Dr. Rosenman discussed the sewage treatment wetlands in the Arcata/Humbolt area. The Board offered thanks to Mr. Honeybourne and Dr. LaBetz for their time and the valuable information they provided. VIII. Staff Concerns - none. IX. Board Concerns - none. x. Adjournment Page 3 MINUTES OF APRIL 30. 1996 . . . EQCB Minutes of April 30, 1996 Motion by Hood; second by Rosenman to adjourn to Tuesday, May 7,1996 in the City Council chamben. Motion Carried: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: 5-0 Voce, Hood, Christ, Hurley, Rosenman None None The meeting was adjourned at 7:35 P.M. Respectfully Submitted, Barry Curtis, Secretary Environmental Quality Control Board Page 4 MINUTES OF APRIL 30. 1996