Groundwater’s role questioned

Groundwater that discharges into the surf zone and mixes with coastal

seawater could be contributing to pollution along the coastline,

according a study performed by two Stanford University professors.

The source of pollution off Southern California’s coast has

plagued Huntington Beach for years, closing its beaches for most of

the summer in 1999. Scientists have performed countless tests, but

the problem, and the mystery, remain.

Alexandria Boehm, a marine chemist, and Adina Paytan, an

environmental engineer, spent about two months last summer collecting

water and sediment samples from the ocean and testing it for radium,

a naturally occurring element that typically binds to soil in

freshwater. Radium levels served as an indicator of the amount of

groundwater entering the ocean.

The scientists found that there was a correlation between radium

and fecal indicator bacteria, particularly during spring tides, when

the difference between the high tide and the low tide is the

greatest. The correlation suggests a relationship between bacteria

and groundwater discharge, Boehm said.

“We did show that the radium, which is a marker for groundwater

discharge correlates with bacteria levels in the surf zone,” Boehm

said. “When radium levels were high, bacteria levels were also high.”

They also found high levels of nitrate in all of brackish water

that was sampled.

The nitrate could indicate an underground sewage leak or some sort

of contamination at the surface, such as fertilizer, that’s seeping

into the groundwater through the soil, Boehm said.

“I imagine that there’s some sort of leaking sewer line that’s

spilling sewage into the ground,” Boehm said. “It could take the form

of a plume.”

The findings are still preliminary and only represent one season

and one beach, Paytan said.

“But what it tells us is that if you have a way to either predict

or measure groundwater you can say something about the potential

likelihood for bacteria contamination,” she added.

The professors plan to return to Huntington Beach for a follow up

study, though an exact time has not yet been set. Their next step

will be to determine the source of the nitrate.

“We’re going to try and figure out if nitrate is coming from the

sewage,” Boehm said. “There’s so much nitrate in the brackish

aquifer. Nitrate is definitely in the groundwater.”

The professors plan to conduct similar studies in Northern

California cities of Ocean Beach and Santa Cruz.

“If we show that this indeed is persistent and that’s the case

than people will have to do a much better job in making sure that

groundwater will not be polluted,” Paytan said.

Target cleared for a serious makeover

The Planning Commission approved Target’s redesign plans Tuesday

night clearing the way for a major face-lift for the store.

The commission unanimously approved the demolition of the existing

103,458-square-foot superstore on Adams Avenue to make way for a

refurbished 123,800-square-foot building in the same location.

The new building will include an 8,100-square-foot attached garden

center, a shorter truck entrance and state-of-the-art sound walls to

cut back on noise. The parking area will also be redesigned with

interior landscaping and pedestrian walkways.

“The store is about 40,000 square feet too small and it’s not

configured properly,” said Planning Commissioner Tom Livengood.

Construction is slated to start in January, 2005.

Students take their stand on garbage in the sand

Nearly 1,000 students mobilized at Huntington State Beach on

Friday to rid the sand of trash and to send a preservation message to

all Californians.

A group of third-graders from Santa Ana and Garden Grove took part

in the massive beach cleanup to commemorate Ocean Day at the 11th

annual Kids’ Adopt-A-Beach Cleanup.

Students also took time out from the cleanup to create an aerial

art exhibition. The students used their bodies to form a design that

spelled out the word “preserve” with an image of a life preserver

surrounding the Earth.

This cleanup was not a solo effort. This was one of many cleanups

that took place along the California coast Friday, stretching from

San Francisco to San Diego. International students will soon join

their American counterparts for similar beach cleanups and aerial art

projects in Vancouver and Toronto in early June.

Preserving the health of the sea and marine life is a global

issue. In June 2003, the Pew Oceans Commission, a nationwide group

devoted to protecting marine life, reported that America’s oceans are

in great danger. Dead zones, or ocean regions that cannot support sea

life due to low oxygen levels, have also been a source of

international concern. The United Nations Environment Program focused

on them at a recent meeting.

Local beaches and oceans benefit greatly from this kind of student

effort, said Mike Reilly, chair of the California Coastal Commission.

“Our oceans are straining under the pressure of human use,” Reilly

said. “These young people have learned to appreciate the value of a

healthy ocean, and what people can do to help. They are sending out

the message that our oceans need a life preserver.”

Concours d’Elegance celebrates the Porsche

Hundreds of new and vintage cars, motorcycles and bicycles will be

on display to judge and admire at Huntington Beach Central Park next

week.

The Porsche 911 and Vincent motorcycle will be highlighted at the

19th annual Huntington Beach Concours d’Elegance, set to take place

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 6.

There will also be live entertainment, auto memorabilia, special

programs for children, food vendors and merchants.

This year, the show will feature 40 years of the Porsche 911.

Porsche is the only car that can claim to be almost identical in

style and layout after 40 years of manufacture.

The historical Vincent motorcycle will also be highlighted at the

event.

“We’ll probably get about 400 cars this year,” said Bob Shaw, an

event organizer. “So it’s going to be big, big, big.”

Proceeds will be donated to the Huntington Beach Library

Children’s Resource Center, which provides library services for

gifted, normal and disabled children. Since the event’s 1986

inception, it has raised more than $250,000.

For more information on the Huntington Beach Concours d’Elegance,

log on to https://www.hbconcours.org or contact Bob Shaw at (714)

962-2776.

Honoring soldiers

on Memorial Day

Soldiers who gave their lives in wartime will be honored at City

Hall on Monday.

American Legion Huntington Beach Post 133, founded in 1919 by

World War I veterans, will lead a ceremony to remember the city’s

fallen heroes at City Hall’s War Memorial Monday.

Led by Master of Ceremonies Jim Ghormley, of American Legion Post

113, the event will begin with the hoisting of the colors. This year

Natalie Bowen, Huntington Beach resident and “Starfish Finalist”

winner of April contest on the “Fish” radio FM 95.9, will also sing

the national anthem as the flag is lowered to half mast.

Speakers at the event will include Mayor Cathy Green, Assemblyman

Tom Harman, Orange County Supervisor Jim Silva and Congressman Dana

Rohrabacher.

Names of Huntington Beach citizens who have died, or who are still

missing in action, will be read. Members of the City Council will

place a memorial wreath in memory of fellow citizens who have died.

The event will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at City Hall.