Environmental Press # 53

Subj: OOG: Another Sample Letter To LA Times
Date: Sun, 7 Jul 2002 10:15:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Jon V3
To: Jon V3

Dear OOG: This is the Sample Letter I referred to in the previous email. Send letter to: ocletters@latimes.com. Jan Vandersloot (949) 548-6326

To the Editor:

The debate over the cause of local beach pollution has been raging since the summer of 1999. Is it the Orange County Sanitation District's wastewater discharge, urban runoff, or suspect municipal sewer systems that is responsible for local beach postings and closures? It's probably a combination of all three; each pollution source bearing a different degree of responsibility. Therefore, it was disappointing to read Dr. Grant's editorial position, limiting beach contamination emphasis to urban runoff.

Dr. Grant did state that "Full secondary treatment would reduce the levels of organic contaminants, viruses and bacteria, released to the ocean (by the OCSD)." He than takes issue with the cost of enjoying such a benefit. In a recent letter by Lisa Murphy, Communications Director for the OCSD, regarding single family rate-payer increases for full secondary treatment, "...on the average over 15 years, residents will

 

  

see an increase of $16.00 per year per household.", and "...from no increase in some years, to $36.00 on other years." Which means that for $1.33 per month, rate-payers will begin the process of reducing the bacteria burden of the OCSD's wastewater by over 95% and the viral burden by about 85%. I'm sorry, Dr. Grant, but I prefer to pay the price.

Lastly, the OCSD Board of Directors is scheduled to vote on whether to transition to a new level of wastewater treatment on July 17. It's interesting that Dr. Grant elected to submit his editorial just ten days prior to the next OCSD Board meeting. He's had three years to change his mind.

Thank you,

Greg Jewell

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