Water board official accuses city of distorting study

One scientist says city is telling the truth. The Regional Water Quality Control Board is set to vote Nov. 5 on a proposed septic ban for Malibu.

By Jonathan Friedman / Special to The Malibu Times

A Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board official last week accused the city of distorting the preliminary findings of studies being conducted on Malibu water pollution. But at least one scientist says city officials are telling the truth, and accused the RWQCB official of interpreting the findings in a way so she can reach the conclusion she wants.

Elizabeth Erickson made the accusation against the city during a workshop at Pepperdine University on the RWQCB’s proposal to ban septic systems in most of eastern Malibu. While RWQCB official say septic systems are to blame for most of the watershed pollution, city officials have cited five studies currently being conducted that have reached a different conclusion in their preliminary findings.

“That’s a distortion as far as I can tell,” Erickson said at the workshop. “It’s not what the researchers are telling me.” … Full Story at Malibu Times