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Frankenfish
Gus Ayer
The Toll Road Battle is Back!
Garry's Gauntlet
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Learn more about From the Garden to the Sea here!

 

 

Coastkeeper in the News:

Newport Beach Independent 

 

 

Garden Volunteer Day

Saturday, March 16 

and March 23 from 

9 AM - 1 PM. Please join us! 

RSVP required: 

pamela@coastkeeper.org 



March 9 from 9 - 11 AM,
at Huntington State Beach, lifeguard tower 11. You can find all the details on our website, invite your friends and be sure send an RSVP to pamela@coastkeeper.org.
You're Invited!     

Be among the first to view Orange County's largest California Friendly� demonstration garden. 

 
This event will mark the official grand opening of the Coastkeeper Garden! Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Learn more about this event on our website or by clicking on the photo above. 

 

Tickets are $150 and are available for purchase by sending us a check, giving us a call at 714-850-1965, or mailing in this form

  

Proceeds from the event will support Coastkeeper's diverse slate of educational, advocacy, restoration, research, and enforcement programs. We hope you can join us!

 

In this issue: 

 

The FDA is considering approving genetically engineered salmon, a.k.a. frankenfish, for human consumption. 

 

Coastkeeper's desal campaign continues, but we are sad to report that a major leader in this initiative is no longer with us. Read our tribute to advocate and former Fountain Valley Mayor, Gus Ayer.

 

The toll road battle is back! Learn about the TCA's latest plans and how you can help defeat them again.

 

Check out a new section of our newsletter, Garry's Gauntlet, that gives you a glimpse of our executive director's advocacy efforts.

 

Finally, read about the latest sand shifting project in Newport Beach.

Say No to Frankenfish
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is accepting public comment from now until April 26 about their tentative approval of Aquabounty's genetically engineered (GE) salmon. If approved, this would would be the first GE organism on the market for human consumption. The California Coastkeeper Alliance and many other Waterkeepers are opposing this decision, as the risks of releasing GE salmon to the market outweigh the benefits.

The Waterkeeper Alliance points out that the GE salmon "pose a suite of health risks to consumers, in addition to the dangers posed by existing aquaculture operations' use of antibiotics and chemicals". As with any GE products, there are risks to the natural environment should any of these organisms escape or be released into the environment. Learn more about this so-called "frankenfish" and how you can submit comments to the FDA here.
In Gus Ayer's Honor
Coastkeeper has been advocating against the proposed Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Facility at the state and local agency level for many years. Recently, a local environmental activist approached the local coalition with plans for a campaign to educate ratepayers about this risks of a deal with Poseidon Resources. This man was former Fountain Valley mayor, Gus Ayer, who passed away on Feb. 13, days before we were set to launch his brilliant campaign.  
 
Coastkeeper, along with local coalition members, Residents for Responsible Desalination, the Surfrider FoundationOrange County League of Conservation Voters will be working harder than ever to honor Gus by delivering our message to ratepayers and decision makers.  "Gus was a brilliant and passionate man, and an extraordinary citizen," states Coastkeeper's Associate Director of Programs, Ray Hiemstra. "He has really laid out all of the groundwork for this campaign; we will see it through and make him proud." To learn more about this desal campaign, please visit www.nowaterdeal.com. We are also seeking volunteers to assist with outreach. If you are interested in participating, please email info@coastkeeper.org.
The Toll Road Battle is Back On!
Excerpt from our coalition partners at the Surfrider Foundation: "Yes, the same road that was rejected by the California Coastal Commission and the Bush Administration in 2008, is back. Since 2011, the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) has been proposing to build the road in "segments" - five miles at a time...  "Segmenting"    
Commerce Hearing
Local residents opposing TCA in 2007

is illegal under state and federal law. 

 

Not only does TCA's plan circumvent important laws, this approach also makes absolutely no sense from a planning perspective.  The road would create a "cul-de-sac of traffic" for San Juan Capistrano and would actually end at a road that is not even built yet - making this a road to nowhere!  The TCA recently filed an environmental permit with the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) for the first section of the road (this is one of many permits they need to obtain). Their RWQCB application is grossly inadequate - TCA is overlooking impacts to important wetlands, the San Juan Creek, and the surrounding watershed (which could potentially affect the coastal zone)."  Please join Coastkeeper, Surfrider and many others on Wednesday, March 13 to voice your opposition to the "Road to Nowhere".  The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in the Costa Mesa City Council Chambers on 77 Fair Dr.  Learn more here, or if you can't make it in person, send a letter to the RWQCB.

Some insight about Southern California's water supply, from our wonderful executive director, Mr. Garry Brown:

As you have heard me say before, what is missing from the equation of a balanced water supply strategy is a realistic proactive water sustainability plan for Southern California. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MET) only understands their legacy of importing water. If Southern California developed a water sustainability plan, where the scientific gaps were filled, we could get to Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) (I feel like this part if a bit confusing, might be better not to include it if we don't have further explanation. The Orange County Water District's Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), through Indirect Potable Reuse, proves the technology exists to safely capture and reuse waste or stormwater for drinking water. 
 
We need to develop a plan that integrates surface flows with our drinking water supply and look at water from a perspective as "one water". By taking a few innovative steps such as capture and reuse and landscape behavior changes, Southern California could be water sustainable.  Importing water could shift from a priority of necessity to a back-up supply in drought years. This would change the entire Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta paradigm and reduce the need for a large conveyance projects and massive investments. MET could even continue to be the water wholesaler by owning local reuse treatment systems. It is my opinion that no future plans for additional and new supply sources, such as desalination, make real sense until a realistic 20-25 year water sustainability plan for Southern California is developed.
Shifting Sands in Newport Beach
California Least Tern
Right on time for the spring season, it looks like the California least tern and other endangered bird species will come back their winter destinations to a much more attractive home.  A recent OC Register article shared the plans for the Newport Beach marsh project which will shift sand from the Santa Ana River Marsh to Newport Beach. 

 

To restore the marsh area for those endangered birds, workers are removing sediment from the Santa Ana River by transferring the sand through a pipe that will place piles offshore in West Newport Beach. Another benefit, according to Newport Beach assistant city engineer Bob Stein, is the extra sand, which functions as a "main line of defense to protect the homes on the peninsula".  The article states that the removed sand has been tested and approved by the Regional Water Quality Control Board to meet acceptable standards. Some of the sand, that is either too fine or contains high amounts of contaminants, will be sent to an inland dump site, although, some residents are still concerned about potential risks. On the bright-side, Stein states that there will be a temporary, positive impact on the surf. The sand-pumping will run through mid-March. View the full article here.

Thank you for your continued interest in Orange County Coastkeeper and Inland Empire Waterkeeper.