HomeMy WebLinkAboutEQCB Min 2003-09-24
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1CITY OF SEAL BEACH
Environmental Quality Control Board
Minutes of September 24, 2003
Chairperson Unrath called the Environmental Quality Control Board (EQCB) meeting of
September 24, 2003 to order at 6:30 p.m. The meeting was held in City Council
Chambers and began with the Salute to the Flag.
Roll Call
Present:
Absent:
Chairperson Unrath, Members Hurley and Voce
Barton and O'Malley
Also
Present:
Department of Development Services
Mac Cummins, Associate Planner
Mr. Cummins indicated that he had received notice from Members Barton and O'Malley
requesting to be excused from tonight's meeting, as they are both on vacation.
So moved by Chairperson Unrath.
II Approval of Agenda
MOTION by Hurley; SECOND by Voce to approve the Agenda as presented.
MOTION CARRIED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
3-0-2
Unrath, Hurley, and Voce
None
Barton and O'Malley
III Oral Communications
None.
IV Consent Calendar
1. RECEIVE AND FILE - Goals and Objectives for the City of Seal Beach. At
the last meeting, Member Hurley requested this document.
1 These Minutes were transcribed from an audIotape of the meeting.
09-24-03 EQCB Minutes.doc
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City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board
Meeting Minutes of September 24, 2003
2. RECEIVE AND FILE - Letter to the State Water Resources Control Board
Re: "Draft California Non-Point Source Program 5-Year Implementation
Plan." Letter dated August 28, 2003.
3. RECEIVE AND FILE - Letter to the County or Orange Re: "City of Seal
Beach Comments Re: "Notice of Intent to Adopt Negative Declaration 03-15,
Los Alamitos Pump Station."
4. RECEIVE AND FILE - Letter to the County of Orange Re: "City of Seal Beach
Comments Re: "Notice of Preparation - Environmental Impact Report,
Sunset Marina Boat Launch Parking and Dry Boat Storage Expansion."
5. RECEIVE AND FILE - Memorandum to EQCB Re: Status Report - PaCific
Coast Highway & Seal Beach Boulevard Contamination. Memo dated August
25,2003.
6. RECEIVE AND FILE - Memorandum to EQCB Re: "Simple Parliamentary
Procedures For the 21st Century" - Western City Magazine. Memo dated
September 8,2003.
7. RECEIVE AND FILE - Memorandum to EQCB Re: Seal Beach Weapons
Station - Installation Restoration Program - Web Page Information. Memo
dated September 8, 2003.
MOTION by Hurley; SECOND by Voce to approve the Consent Calendar as presented.
MOTION CARRIED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
3-0-2
Unrath, Hurley, and Voce
None
Barton and O'Malley
V Scheduled Matters
8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - August 20,2003
Recommendation: Approve Minutes subject to any corrections as needed.
Vice-Chairperson Hurley noted a correction to Page 4, Line 19.
MOTION by Hurley; SECOND by Voce to approve the Meeting Minutes of August 20,
2003 as amended.
MOTION CARRIED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
3-0-2
Unrath, Hurley, and Voce
None
Barton and O'Malley
09-24-03 EQCB Minutes.doc
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City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board
Meeting Minutes of September 24, 2003
9. CITY RESPONSE LETTER RE: RECEIPT OF TIER II ECOLOGICAL RISK
ASSESSMENT SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS PLAN SITE 74, SEAL BEACH
NAVAL WEAPONS STATION, SEAL BEACH SEDIMENT AND BIOASSAY
ADDENDUM
Recommendation: Authorize the Chairman to sign the draft response letter,
with any additional comments determined appropriate. Instruct Staff to forward
to the City Council for authorization to have Mayor sign letter. Receive and File
Staff Report.
Chairperson Unrath noted a change to the Line 3 of Paragraph 1 to state, "The City of
Seal Beach is very concerned relative to the site described in this document... "
Vice-Chairperson recommended omission of the word "that" in Line 8 of the same
paragraph.
MOTION by Voce; SECOND by Hurley to authorize the Chairman to sign the draft
response letter, as amended. Instruct Staff to forward to the City Council for authorization
to have Mayor sign letter. Receive and File Staff Report.
MOTION CARRIED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
3-0-2
Unrath, Hurley, and Voce
None
Barton and O'Malley
10. CITY RESPONSE LETTER RE: INSTALLATION RESTORATION PROGRAM
- IR SITE 40.
Recommendation: Authorize the Chairman to sign the draft response letter,
with any additional comments determined appropriate. Instruct Staff to forward
to the City Council for authorization to have Mayor sign letter. Receive and File
Staff Report.
Staff Report
Mr. Cummins noted that this site is part of the larger Site 40 & 70, which in the past has
been the subject of several response letters. He said that this is one of the primary
sites that the Naval Weapons Station (NWS) is doing its best to clean up. He indicated
that the Navy is about halfway through the remediation process. He explained that
approximately two years ago several alternatives for clean up were proposed and the
City had recommended chemical oxidation for In Situ treatment. He stated that since
then a series of tests and groundwater reports were completed and presented to the
EQCB, and the NWS is now recommending using bioremediation through In Situ
treatment. He said that Staff feels this would be appropriate given the results of the
groundwater reports previously submitted; therefore, Staff has recommended in the
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City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board
Meeting Minutes of September 24, 2003
comment letter that the NWS bioremediation would now be the preferred clean up
method.
Vice-Chairperson Hurley asked if bioremediation was one of the options for clean up
originally proposed by the Navy. Mr. Cummins stated that at that time the City had not
yet received any groundwater data on what was actually found at the site and,
therefore, had determined that chemical oxidation would be the best method.
Member Voce interjected that Site 40 is very close to Site 5 where the gasoline tanks
are stored and sometimes leak. He stated that a locomotive mechanic's pit was located
on this site and over the years oil, solvents, and gasoline have accumulated in the soil.
He noted that bioremediation involves using bacteria that consume these chemicals,
and although they may not completely clean up the site, this approach may be the most
effective method.
Mr. Cummins stated that there are more thorough methods for clean up that would
involve a significantly longer time frame of approximately 25-35 years. Vice-
Chairperson Hurley asked how long the current clean up program would take. Mr.
Cummins stated that it is approximately a 5-year program.
Member Voce noted that due to budgetary constraints, the Navy intends to close the
clean up program in approximately 5 years, so the City should work to have the Navy
clean up as many sites as possible before the Installation Restoration Program ends.
He noted that both Sites 40 and 70 are close to the Wetlands Wildlife Refuge and there
are underground plumes that get into the water table, so the City must ensure that this
area is not poisoned after the Navy program closes down.
Chairperson Unrath commented that both chemical oxidation and bioremediation are
"natural" methods of remediation. He stated that within the next 5 years there may be
new methods for using iron in the chemical oxidation process, which would be much
more effective than the current method. He noted that for now the recommended
alternative appears to be the best one.
Member Voce stated that Bechtel Environmental, Inc., the Navy subcontractor for the
restoration program, had attempted chemical oxidation for Site 70 by injecting hydrogen
peroxide into the soil, which tended to create salt water as a byproduct.
MOTION by Hurley; SECOND by Voce to authorize the Chairman to sign the draft
response letter. Instruct Staff to forward to the City Council for authorization to have
Mayor sign letter. Receive and File Staff Report.
MOTION CARRIED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
3-0-2
Unrath, Hurley, and Voce
None
Barton and O'Malley
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City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board
Meeting Minutes of September 24, 2003
VI Staff Concerns
Mr. Cummins reported that the EQCB had some questions regarding desalination plants
in California, and the California Coastal Commission (CCC) has recently circulated a
Staff Report relating to desalination. He then distributed copies of the report to the
Board members and noted that if the Board wishes, Staff could place this item on the
October 2003 agenda. The Board was in agreement with this suggestion.
Member Voce inquired whether the report covered the proposed desalination plant in
Huntington Beach. Mr. Cummins stated that this was a report to the CCC on
desalination plants in general within California and the issues related to them within the
Coastal Zone.
Vice-Chairperson Hurley asked whether the City of Seal Beach feels that the Long
Beach Test Facility is not within the Coastal Act. Mr. Cummins stated that City Council
was not pleased about the desalination plant, not necessarily from a Coastal Act
perspective, but because of how it might impact the City. Vice-Chairperson Hurley
asked if the CCC had approved this project. Mr. Cummins stated that he did not know
this. Vice-Chairperson then inquired about the status of the proposed Huntington
Beach facility. Chairperson Unrath interjected that he understands Long Beach has a
research project in the design phase, and a large 10 million gallons per year project in
the planning stages. He stated that for Huntington Beach the Draft Environmental
Impact Report (DEIR) was completed for a 50 million gallon per year facility.
VII Board Concerns
Vice-Chairperson Hurley inquired as to why the Navy delayed until 2002 before doing
anything on Site 74, the old skeet range, which is right next to the Wildlife Refuge.
Member Voce stated that this may have been an oversight, but it was finally brought to
the Navy's attention, who knew that this site must be considered because of the lead
saturation from all the lead skeet shooting that took place there.
Vice-Chairperson Hurley asked about the frequency of establishing and reviewing the
Goals & Objectives (G&Ds) for the City. Chairperson Unrath noted that this is done
every 25 years. Mr. Cummins interjected that in 2001 when John Bahorski became the
new City Manager, City Council directed that he develop Goals & Objectives for the
City. Vice-Chairperson asked if any provision was made for updating the G&Os. Mr.
Cummins stated that he was not certain about whether provision had been made for
this. Vice-Chairperson Hurley asked that Staff return with information on what the time
frame would be for follow up and review, and/or amendment of the G&Os. Mr.
Cummins stated that he could make inquiries, but perhaps the Board members should
contact their respective Council Members to discuss this information, as it was not
within the subject matter jurisdiction of the EQCB.
Member Voce expressed his concern over residents burning wood in their fireplaces as
opposed to using the cleaner burning gas jets. He noted that this causes the levels of
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City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board
Meeting Minutes of September 24, 2003
air pollution to increase by 30-40 percent. He suggested having the City create a policy
to encourage residents to use the natural gas jets in their fireplaces as opposed to
burning wood. He inquired as to whether the Board members were open to him
composing an information fact sheet on this issue for distribution by the City. Mr.
Cummins cautioned the Board that this was not an agendized item and as such, under
the Brown Act should not be discussed among the Board members. Chairperson
Unrath recommended placing this on the next agenda.
Mr. Dan Cross of Victorville, California, stated that in an effort to reduce pollution, the
City of Victorville assigns specific days when wood burning in fireplaces is allowed.
Mr. Cummins suggested that Staff create a draft memorandum for review by the Board
and to which the fact sheet can be attached for forwarding to City Council. Member
Voce requested that this item be included on the October 2003 agenda.
Chairperson Unrath asked when information on the DWP project would be made
available. Mr. Cummins provided an update on the project and noted that an
application was submitted but was found to be incomplete and the City had forwarded a
letter to the applicant outlining the requirements for appropriate completion of the
application. He said once this occurs, the appointed Ad Hoc Committee will have the
opportunity to review the project. He noted that the EQCB would be involved in review
of any CEQA documents related to this project.
Chairperson Unrath emphasized that the City should carefully follow up on the status of
the contamination clean up at the former Shore Shop site along Seal Beach Boulevard
and Pacific Coast Highway.
VIII Adjournment
MOTION by Voce; SECOND by Hurley to adjourn to the scheduled October 2003
meeting date.
MOTION CARRIED:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
3-0-2
Unrath, Hurley, and Voce
None
Barton and O'Malley
Chairperson Unrath adjourned the meeting at 7: 15 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
~~ ~\)7A~
lilT
Carmen Alvarez, Executive Secretary
Department of Development Services
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City of Seal Beach Environmental Quality Control Board
Meeting Minutes of September 24, 2003
The Board on February 25, 2004, approved the Minutes of the Environmental Quality
Control Board of Wednesday, September 24, 2003. ~.
09-24-03 EQCB Minutes.doc
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