Huntington Beach could still lose Poseidon war

Dave Sullivan

Regarding the Poseidon environmental report approval:

I fear what I call the “Worst Of All Worlds Scenario”: A

desalination plant imposed on us without Huntington Beach having any

control over the environmental review process and no tax increment

money coming to the city. Unfortunately, if Huntington Beach opts out

of the approval process one of the water boards can approve a

desalination plant at the AES plant site on their own. Does anybody

really think that the residents of Huntington Beach will have any

meaningful input with a water board? Nine years as an elected

official tells me that we will have zero input.

I indicated at the Dec. 15 Poseidon hearing that I have serious

concerns about issues that have not been adequately addressed in the

environmental report. Will a desalination plant increase beach

pollution? Would a desalination plant perpetuate the outdated

inefficient AES power plant? Etc., etc.

I did not support cutting off the process, because I feel strongly

that Huntington Beach must maintain control of this critical

procedure. A city council-citizen subcommittee, similar to the

Southeast Area Committee, should be formed to make sure the various

environmental review concerns are addressed and answered. If the

answers are unacceptable, then the environmental review should not be

certified and the desalination plant should not be approved.

As it stands now, if a desalination plant is owned by a public

agency, for example the Metropolitan Water District, Huntington Beach

will not receive one cent in taxes. At my suggestion, city staff is

negotiating with Poseidon to insure that Huntington Beach will

receive the equivalent of the lost taxes, if a desalination plant is

ever approved and then sold to a public agency.

In summary, my position is that we must protect ourselves and

proceed in a way that will keep the decision in Huntington Beach’s

hands. Every bit of my political experience tells me that, if we lose

control of the approval process, we’ll get hosed. Let’s not win the

battle, and then lose the war.

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Dave Sullivan is a Huntington Beach City

Councilman.