Environmental Press # 102

Subj: OOG: Joint Meeting OCSD and OCWD next Wedneday, August 21, 6 PM
Date: 8/16/2002 9:21:18 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Jon V3
To: Jon V3

Dear Ocean Outfall Group (OOG), dedicated to ending the 301(h) waiver held by the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD):

Plan on attending the Special Joint Board meeting of the Boards of Directors -- OCSD and OCWD next Wednesday, 8/21/02, 6:00pm, in the OCSD boardroom.

The draft agenda shows this to be a joint board workshop on GWRS in four parts -- A) Project status report; B) Status of operations agreement; C) Cost and schedule update; and D) Discussions and observations led by both GMs (Virginia Grebbien, OCWD, and Blake Anderson, OCSD).

The OCWD board will continue their board meeting in the "conference room" where the committee meetings usually take place, with consent calendar items, committee reports, etc.

 

  

It's important to attend these meetings as well as the committee meetings of the OCSD. Good things were approved at the OMTS (Operations, Maintenance, Technical Services) Committee meeting on August 7 which shows the OCSD is committed to ramping up the existing secondary capabilities (go to OCSD.com, click on Board of Directors, click on Committees, the OMTS, then August 7 agenda, especially item 50).

Now we need them to actually start planning and designing the new physical secondary treatment plant. It takes them some 7 years to get a project built, from start of planning to close out. The state legislature is poised to give them 10 years before fines are levied, via a revamped AB 1969, which has passed from Assemblyman Maddox to Assemblyman Campbell. AB 1969 is now a vehicle to deal with OCSD's concerns, from fines to upsets in the secondary treatment process (see AB 1969 amendments).

It is important, however, to make sure the goals of the Board Resolution on July 17, are met. That is, secondary treatment standards, protection of the environment, and water reclamation.

Jan Vandersloot (949) 548-6326

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