There exists no sanitary victory to...

There exists no sanitary victory to celebrate yet

I am baffled at the suggestion that “Environmental victories

should be celebrated” (Editorial, Aug. 22) when you consider what has

transpired:

1. The Orange County Sanitation District directors’ vote was only

13 to 12 This was not a unanimous victory, it barely passed.

2. The district has broken the Clean Water Act law for 30 years

using a waiver. Why did they need to be forced just to comply with

the law when virtually every other sanitation plant in the country

has already done so?

3. The district’s scientists lied by omission. They claim their

study showed surface bacteria came to only one mile of shore. Yet

when asked specifically, they readily admitted that the plume

actually comes within a quarter-to a half-mile of the Newport Pier.

They believe the thermal layer will protect us from the ocean’s

ever-changing currents, temperatures, tides and storms.

4. The district’s rationalization for using the chlorine bleach

program now is that “it’s been used by most other utilities and it’s

very safe.” The more important question is why haven’t they been

using it for the past 30 years and had to be forced to do so.

5. The district claims it will take eight to 11 years to implement

full treatment. The Irvine Co. developers built a whole city behind

Crystal Cove in less than three years. Do they not think this is

important enough to get this done within this decade?

6. The environmental and citizen groups have been negligent. Where

have they been for the last 30 years?

I do not understand what motivates the sanitation district, but I

do know we have to keep on top of them because they cannot be trusted

with our resources. The environmentalists cannot fall asleep at the

wheel again. The only time we should break out the champagne is when

the ocean is truly clean and safe, not celebrate talking and/or word

victories.

RAY HALOWSKI

Corona del Mar

Water quality more needed than leash law

Has Red Baron replaced Dennis Rodman as the bad boy of Newport

Beach? This new interpretation of the leash law is an embarrassment

to our community (“Newport can tighten leash,” Sept 5). Laws are

intended to protect the public.

Am I to assume that we can all sleep better at night knowing that

dogs will be on a leash while swimming in the ocean? As a resident of

the Balboa Peninsula, I am more concerned about the water quality

after hordes of people spend the day at a beach where there are no

public facilities.

BRUCE HARVEY

Balboa Peninsula