Environmental Press # 109

Subj: Fwd: AB 1969 Amendments , 48 hours left to make comments
Date: 8/29/2002 11:09:31 AM 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):

AB 1969 was passed by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee yesterday on a 6-0 vote, and now heads for the Senate Appropriations Committee. All bills have to be wrapped up by August 31, so we only have 48 hours left to comment. See forwarded message below for the Amended language in AB 1969

The original Maddox language has been reinserted into the new AB 1969 being carried by Assemblyman Campbell, except for the date for compliance has been changed from 2008 to 2013, giving OCSD 10 years to complete full secondary conversion without fines. OCSD Counsel Tom Woodruff, at the OCSD Board meeting last night still complained of another passage in the Maddox Bill (see Sec.4, "unique and special pollution problems associated with the discharge of wastewater by the Orange County Sanitation District"), and OCSD is trying to get this language changed or eliminated. At the Steering Committee meeting last night, OCSD

 

  

heard a report by lobbyist Scott Baugh (proud parent of a new baby) in closed session, which did nothing to create a sense of trust or transparency among the attending public. OCSD compounded this mistrustful feeling by barring attendance by a public representative at a meeting to be held today by OCSD, EPA, and RWQCB in San Francisco to discuss the process of obtaining a permit. Tom Woodruff said "We're not trying to play hide the ball", and "if the public was invited to the meeting, then the Orange County Business Council wanted to attend, and why not have the meeting at Staple's Center". Very humorous. OCSD apparently wants to bring up an old policy where a sanitation agency is given special consideration if they develop a new or innovative treatment program. Here it is. Here it is. Here comes microfiltration.

AB 2351, having to do with definitions of violations and minimum mandatory penalties, is winding its way in the Assembly and is supposed to be joined to AB 1969. See: AB 2351 . How this relates to AB 1969 is somewhat confusing, but the two are supposed to be fused. This bill allows multiple violations to be treated as single violations in certain time frames when there is disruption of a secondary treatment biologic system as part of a new or rehabilitated biologic system. I think this part is designed to allow OCSD to have a lot of down time in its secondary biologic systems.

AB 1969 is supposed to be heard next in Senate Appropriations Committee. Contentious issues still remain the 10 years, the change in violations policy, and whether to include the whole of Maddox language or not. If you want to make a comment to this Committee, go to:

Senate Appropriations Committee

If you want to address the whole State Senate, go to:

State Senate 2002

Remember, there are only 48 hours left.

Jan Vandersloot (949) 548-6326

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forwarded Message:
Subj: OFFICIAL CALIFORNIA BILL INFORMATION
Date: 8/29/2002 7:22:50 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: comments@www.leginfo.ca.gov
To: JONV3@AOL.COM
Sent from the Internet (Details)

Date and Time of Update: Thu Aug 29 6:46:40 US/Pacific 2002

Legislative action has occurred on bill(s) you have subscribed to through the California Legislative Counsel's web site
(http://www.leginfo.ca.gov)
or the California State Senate's web site
(http://www.sen.ca.gov).

Back to T.O.C. 2