A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
September 13, 2007
1. Top Item
State system established to keep waters pollution-free 'is broken'
By Mike Lee, staff writer
Political tussles, tight budgets, work slowdowns and a lack of prestige are hobbling the network of agencies responsible for controlling water pollution in
The troubles include the
“The state is woefully inept at enforcing its clean water laws,” Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata, D-Oakland, wrote in a recent letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“The whole system is broken,” he continued. “It's overly complicated, lacks accountability and is severely underfunded.”
Perata is spearheading legislation that would affect everything from the agencies' pay to their accountability. The Legislature approved his bill yesterday and sent it to the governor, who has not taken a position on the measure.
These agencies have a much lower profile than the state's Coastal Commission or the Air Resources Board. However, they serve as important watchdogs for rivers, bays, coastal lagoons and other bodies of water. They have issued mandates that cost hundreds of millions of dollars and affect powerful groups such as home builders.
For example, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board recently ordered a 20-year cleanup of metals contaminating Chollas Creek. It also has proposed a landmark cleanup of
Because of the boards' significance, some legislators, environmental groups and business leaders have become concerned about what they see as an increasing number of shortcomings of the agencies.
William L. Rukeyser, a spokesman for the state water board in
“Our programs have been active and our enforcement program in particular is getting even better,” he said.
Schwarzenegger's administration has directed the state board to conduct a comprehensive review of its operations, programs and staffing.
“The governor shares Sen. Perata's priorities for
The statement did not address why the
The board's monthly meeting, planned for yesterday, was canceled because it lacked a quorum. It's the second time that has happened in less than a year.
Schwarzenegger has not filled three of the board's nine seats, leaving little room for the current members to miss meetings or recuse themselves from votes to avoid conflicts of interest.
The quorum problem could worsen dramatically just as the the board is scheduled to discuss a long-delayed cleanup of
One of the board members facing termination, Daniel Johnson, could not be reached for comment. Some agency watchers don't expect him to seek another term.
The other member in question, Eric Anderson, wants to stay on. But in May, the Building Industry Association of San Diego County asked the state Attorney General's Office to remove him.
The association accused Anderson, a nurseryman, of crafting an exemption to regional storm water rules for farmers while extending them to other businesses and cities. Anderson, who says he did nothing wrong, is trying to show the governor that he has a broad base of support.
Putting aside his own case,
“We are kind of stuck,” he said. “Hopefully, we can catch up.”
Some conservationists and community groups have praised the
Others contend that it's no longer an aggressive advocate for clean water.
The board has turned into a “do-nothing” agency with too many industry ties, said Bruce Reznik, director of the environmental group San Diego Coastkeeper. He said he hopes the governor will put more environmentalists on the board soon.
“It's an opportunity for appointments that better represent a voice for water quality enforcement,” Reznik said.
Schwarzenegger's aides said they're trying to find the most qualified applicants for the
Vacancies are common, partly because board members receive only $100 a meeting, which can last all day. In addition, their posts are much less coveted than those for high-profile agencies such as the Coastal Commission, which often have served as launching pads for statewide political jobs.
The field is further narrowed because some candidates have connections to divisive causes or regulated businesses and agencies.
That type of controversy erupted in August for the
Samuel Wakim resigned after posting a fake illegal-immigrant driver's license on his personal Web site, according to several news reports. The mock-up showed a caricature of a Latino in a large sombrero, an “X” for a signature and the word
In the big picture, the water boards' challenges go beyond any single member. Perata faulted the structure of the system, which relies on more than 80 appointees.
“It's nearly impossible to ensure that they are all doing their jobs,” Perata said.
His legislation aims to increase the agencies' accountability and performance.
The bill would, among other things, increase the per diem for board members to $500 and a create a mechanism for the state board to remove authority from regional boards that don't sufficiently protect water quality.
Even if Schwarzenegger signs the legislation, it won't address all the problems facing the water boards – including a lack of funds.
Five years ago, a review by the Legislative Analyst's Office showed a lack of resources for these agencies. The office is a nonpartisan, policy-oriented agency in
“There remains a substantial workload that is not being addressed,” the report said.
The shortages seem to continue.
Last month, the executive officer for the
In an interview this week, that officer – Pamela Creedon – tried to downplay the disparity. Environmentalists said her latest statements are the result of pressure from the governor's office.
“I don't know what the magic number (of employees) is,” she said. “I am going to do the best we can with what we have.” #
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070913-9999-1n13board.html
####
No comments:
Post a Comment