BOND ISSUE EYED FOR RIVER, BAY.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer Even while city officials prepare a lawsuit over stricter regulations on storm water pollution, a plan has gained momentum to raise fees and ask voters to pass a bond measure to fund the cleanup of the Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River is an intermittent river flowing through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the west end of the San Fernando Valley, 51 miles (82 km) southeast to its mouth in Long Beach. and Santa Monica Bay Santa Monica Bay is an arm of the Pacific Ocean in southern California, United States. Its boundaries are slightly ambiguous, but it is generally considered to be the part of the Pacific within an imaginary line drawn between Point Dume . One option is seeking voter approval of a bond issue for as much as $250 million. City leaders would have to decide by Jan. 30 in order to get a bond measure on the April ballot. Besides bonds, city leaders are considering an increase in the $23-a-year fee designated as a storm water pollution abatement A reduction, a decrease, or a diminution. The suspension or cessation, in whole or in part, of a continuing charge, such as rent. With respect to estates, an abatement is a proportional diminution or reduction of the monetary legacies, a disposition of property by will, when charge on homeowners' property tax bills. The fee, which generates $28 million annually, was last increased in 1993. Officials will report to the City Council today on possible funding scenarios, but at least one environmental group says the city's actions appear inconsistent. ``We do support the concept of the bond issue, but not if they are going to sue and not have an appropriate form of accountability,'' said Leslie Mintz, attorney for Heal the Bay Heal the Bay is a U.S. environmental advocacy non-profit organization based in Santa Monica, California. Heal the Bay is dedicated to protecting California's Santa Monica Bay, a region of the Pacific coast encompassed by Malibu's Point Dume on the north and the Palos Verdes . City officials say they intend to follow the regulations and install all the necessary pollution-control equipment. At the same time, they have decided to sue state water regulators because the new rule lacks a so- called safe-harbor provision that would protect the city from citizen lawsuits if pollution levels rise despite the city's good-faith efforts. ``We're looking to protect the city as we meet water-quality standards,'' said Judith Wilson, director of the city's Bureau of Sanitation. The debate focuses on storm water, one of the main sources of pollution to the Los Angeles River and the Santa Monica Bay. As it hits the pavement, rainfall collects trash, oil and other toxic substances that are carried into the storm drain storm drain n. 1. A storm sewer. 2. A catch basin. system, which then empties into the river and ocean. In 2001, the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Regional Water Quality Control Board set tough new limits on pollutants pollutants see environmental pollution. in urban runoff Runoff The procedure of printing the end-of-day prices for every stock on an exchange onto ticker tape. Notes: If the "tape is late" then it can take a long time to print off all the closing prices. when it adopted a storm water permit for the Los Angeles region. In 2002, the board set new restrictions on trash in the Los Angeles River and bacteria at Santa Monica Bay beaches. By Bureau of Sanitation estimates, the city will have to spend $480 million to comply with the restrictions on trash and bacteria contamination. The trash problem is most pressing. The city has to reduce garbage in the Los Angeles River by 20 percent by September 2006 and completely eliminate it by 2015. There are more than 1,310 outlets into the river, and city workers likely will use screens and other collection devices at the end of storm-drain pipes to catch soda cups, papers, bags and other trash. This will cost about $120 million over 10 years, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Bureau of Sanitation estimates. < At the bureau, Wilson said she needs to have money in hand to buy and install the equipment by January 2004 to make the 2006 deadline. The city can try to tap into state and federal grants to cover the clean-up cost, but those typically net only $1 million to $2 million a year, according to a September memo to the City Council. ``Most of this money has to be raised locally,'' Wilson said. |
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