SANTA MONICA : Environmental Groups Sue County Over Bay Pollution
Los Angeles County officials are not doing enough to clean up urban water runoff polluting the Santa Monica Bay, according to a lawsuit filed by two environmental groups.
The Natural Resources Defense Council and Santa Monica BayKeeper are accusing the Department of Public Works of 11 violations of the Clean Water Act, attorney Everett DeLano said Thursday.
All the violations have to do with the monitoring and control of storm water runoff that enters the bay.
“They bought very expensive monitoring equipment, (but) it’s sitting in a warehouse gathering dust,” DeLano said. “They basically have not taken the leadership position that they should be taking and that they’re required to take under the law.”
Public Works spokeswoman Donna Guyovich said department heads had not reviewed the lawsuit, but she expected them to evaluate it next week.
According to the complaint, excessive amounts of runoff water entering the bay contain harmful pollutants, including lead, mercury and several cancer-causing chemicals.
“Storm water flows over impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots, industrial facilities, construction sites, and other areas which the county controls . . . generally without treatment,” the lawsuit said.
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