ADIVSORY/Cal/EPA to Help City Clean up LA River.

    News and Assignment Editors
    ADVISORY...for Thursday (Nov. 16)

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      WHAT: Officials from the California Environmental Protection
          Agency (Cal/EPA) and the City of Los Angeles will announce a
          joint project to begin efforts to get rid of the unsightly
          trash in urban runoff that plagues the LA River and
          contributes to southern California beach closures. Cal/EPA's
          Integrated Waste Management Board is contributing $584,136
          to the $1.4 million project.

      WHO: Linda Moulton-Patterson, Chair
         Integrated Waste Management Board

         Dennis Dickerson, Executive Officer
         Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board

         Judith A. Wilson, Director
         City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Sanitation

      WHEN: Thursday, November 16, 2000, 10:30 a.m.

      WHERE: Los Angeles River at 6th Street Storm Drain outlet. Meet at
           6th and Santa Fe.

             VISUALS: River channel, storm drain outfall and large
                    amounts of accumulated trash

      WHY: Trash and other wastes that accumulate at storm drain outfall
         sites and spread downstream to beaches, urban streams and
         wetlands is a significant pollution problem in southern
         California. The 8th and 6th Streets storm drain outfall sites
         in downtown Los Angeles are two major sources of pollution in
         the Los Angeles River. Besides the trash, other associated
         pollutants include bacteria, viruses, oil, grease, nutrients,
         metals, and toxic chemicals. These sites receive urban runoff
         from an area larger than 1,000 acres with sources of
         pollution concentrated from food processing, commercial, and
         transportation-related businesses and estimated 3,000
         homeless people.

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    CONTACT: LA Stormwater Management Division
             Joyce Neal-Amaro, 213/847-4842
                or
             Integrated Waste Management Board
             Chris Peck, 916/869-1323

    KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
    INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENVIRONMENT GOVERNMENT ADVISORY