TOP ACTION ALERTS IN SOCAL:

Rise Above Plasticss – Support AB 1998 – to support new legislation to reduce plastic bag litter. – http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1827

Oil Drilling – Action Alert – http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1727

Support Goleta’s New Plan – http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2003

We need your help. There is an important piece of legislation working its way through Sacramento that would ban single-use bags at stores of a certain size (“Mom and Pops” would not be affected). Here’s what the legislation will do and why it’s needed, on a fact sheet that you can read or download. Single-use plastics choke out creeks, streams, rivers and kill aquatic and marine life. This type of legislation has been proposed before but has died in committee because the plastics industry and their lobbyists have long held sway over Sacramento. It’s time to change that and here are some easy steps you can take with the simplest ways first! Please take a moment and help.

Sign on to one or all of these action alerts from our friend:

Environment California

Heal the Bay

Californians Against Waste

Contact the Bill Sponsor and/or your legislators expressing your support (you can use our suggested language below and click, copy and paste)

Members of the WLAM Chapter, together with other organizations, scored a Surfrider Foundation victory by successfully removing a proposed seawall from the planned replacement of the septic tanks at Malibu Surfrider Beach.

In 2007, County Public Works put forward a project to update septic systems at 15 bathrooms at Zuma, Point Dume, Topanga Beach, and Surfrider Beach.

To prevent septic effluent connecting to the ocean during very large storm events (1% or 100-year storms), Public Works proposed the construction of a barrier seawall — 90′ long, 25′ deep, and 3′ under the sand.

Seawalls go against ocean and beach stewardship principles promoted by the Surfrider Foundation. Among those reasons, West LA/Malibu Chapter members were worried that, during high surf or with sea level rises in the future, the ocean would come into contact more frequently with the seawall, reflecting incoming waves back into the surfzone, and spoiling the shape of the beautiful waves that make Surfrider Beach world-famous.

Working collaboratively with LACo Public Works, LACo Beaches and Harbors, Heal the Bay, Santa Monica Baykeeper, the Malibu Surfing\ Association, and the office of LACo Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (3 rd District), WLAM volunteers were able reconfigure the septic system in such a way that a seawall was no longer necessary.

A win for the environment. A win for taxpayers. And a win for surfers. Stay involved!

Sign the petition that still is still live here – http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=319.

It was exactly six months ago today that 100+ activists filled the seats of a packed hearing room at the Metropolitan Water District in Downtown Los Angeles; gathering in the middle of the week to demand clean water in Lower Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon, and at world-famous Surfrider Beach. They came seeking a solution, unified by a passion to preserve this place and a concern for its chronic water quality problem. Many wore shirts and buttons with the simple but meaningful message: “Clean Water at the Bu.” The result? Following 8 long hours of testimony from these activists as well as city officials, scientists, and others, the Los Angeles Regional Water Board took historic measures to protect water quality in Malibu: amending their master plan (Basin Plan) to prohibit and phase out septic tanks in the city’s Civic Center Area. Commercial properties will comply by 2015, and residential properties by 2019. What comes next? Good question. Making this change a reality is still in process. The Regional Board’s Basin Plan amendment must be reviewed and approved by the State Water Board in Sacramento. Since the November 2009 hearing, the Regional Board has finalized their amendment and has sent their findings, and other supporting materials, to the State Board. State Board Staff have initiated their review with an, as yet, unscheduled date for a presentation to the full State Board. We continue to be in touch with State Board staff and monitor their progress. Surfrider WLAM, along with our partners Heal the Bay, Santa Monica Baykeeper, and the Malibu Surfing Association, will keep working to ensure that we, at last, have Clean Water at the Bu.

Stay involved! Sign the petition that still is still live here – http://action.surfrider.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=319.

LOOK FOR OUR UPCOMING UPDATES!

Congratulations to the students at Environmental Charter High School! Their school has been recognized by President Obama as one of six leading schools in the nation and has invited them to submit a video to compete with five other schools to have him deliver their graduation speech. Within the week, a video they produced will be posted on www.whitehouse.gov/commencement.

Please VOTE TO HAVE PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAK AT THEIR GRADUATION. Voting will only last three days and the date hasn’t been set yet, so add them on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Environmental Charter High School students founded the first ever Surfrider Rise Above Plastics student speaker group. Last year, these students got 7,000+ people in Los Angeles to Rise Above Plastics by delivering educational and inspiring presentations. This year they have trained another group of students at Westridge High School to do the same. They are rewriting the story of education, and of the planet.

The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water is a short, animated film made by a collaboration of creative and dedicated volunteers at The Surfrider Foundation. Several local Surfrider Foundation chapters combined their talents and funds to create the film — and then actress Zuleikha Robinson of Lost, generously agreed to narrate it.

The premise of the film is that the water cycle we all learned about in the 4th grade has been dramatically altered over time, leaving us with a broken system that wastes water and energy, pollutes our natural waterways, harms critical marine life, and poorly deals with flooding and other water management problems. The film serves to take a holistic look at water management, highlight controversial problems, and suggest solutions that integrate multiple economic and environmental benefits. The intended audience includes entire communities: from homeowners and the general public, to public agencies and elected government officials.

In June of 2009 the Surfrider Foundation met with a rep from the Trancas Homeowners group to discuss existing erosion problems and discuss possible solutions.   At that time, it was made perfectly clear that any proposal including permanent hard structures – either above ground, below ground, or located offshore – would not be supported by the Surfrider Foundation.    We understand that landward retreat is not a feasible solution at Broad Beach.   Therefore, beach nourishment projects should be considered as a viable alternative for short-term beach preservation.    Surfrider Foundation’s position is clear – under no circumstances does the Surfrider Foundation support the installation of stabilization or sand retention structures along the coastline.   Such structures can protect existing coastline development but have no place in beach preservation.

Broad Beach history:

• Summer 2005, Broad Beach homeowners illegally bulldozed sand from the  public portion of the beach onto their private property.
• June 28, 2005 – Malibu Chapter held a protest at Broad Beach – see attached Media Alert.
• August 12th, 2005 -  the California Coastal Commission issued a cease and desist against the Trancas Property Owner’s Association,  ordering an end to the posting of no trespassing or private property signs and the use of security guards on ATVs who often intimidated  visitors.
• Feb 2009 – Malibu Times article re: public complaints on sand bags at Broad Beach
• June 2, 2009 – Surfrider Foundation reps met with a Trancas Homeowner rep to discuss the situation.   We made it clear at that time that any plans to put in a permanent hard structure, either below or above the sand or even offshore… would not be supported by Surfrider Foundation.

Below is taken directly from Surfrider’s position on Beach Preservation:

In areas where erosion threatens existing coastal development, the Surfrider Foundation advocates appropriate long-term solutions that maximize public benefit. These include:

• Landward retreat of structures from dynamic shorelines

Where landward retreat is not feasible, beach nourishment** projects may be considered, on a case by case basis, as viable alternatives for short-term beach preservation.

Under no circumstances does the Surfrider Foundation support the installation of stabilization or sand retention structures along the coastline. Such structures can protect existing coastline development but have no place in beach preservation.

Additional information:

Broad Beach in the L.A. Times – http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-broad-beach2-2010feb02,0,369064.story?track=rss

(SANTA MONICA) January 25, 2010 – As heavy rain fell in Los Angeles, Santa Monica High School students in the Surfrider Teach & Test program hit the beach to see how the rain is affecting water quality in the Santa Monica Bay.  These environmentally-conscious students have been monitoring enterococcus bacteria levels in the ocean year round and have been seeing moderately normal results, which suggests that our ocean has been relatively safe for swimming and surfing.  Results from this past week, however, have been quite shocking, with bacteria levels weighing in at more than double what the EPA considers safe.

Bacteria levels at the Santa Monica Pier were 223, which is 119 organisms per milliliter higher than the EPA safety threshold of 104. The Pico-Kenter storm drain at the end of Pico Boulevard had bacteria levels that averaged at 120, and Ocean Park sampled at 331. Students also tested water quality at the storm drain underneath the Santa Monia Pier, which the city replaced last year due to leaks that were causing poor water quality grades.  Bacteria levels in the storm drain runoff were a scary 7,915—more than 75 times higher than what the EPA considers safe.

Students advise highly against surfing or swimming during and after these heavy rains—despite the swell the storm may bring.  “It’s best to stay out of the water for at least 72 hours after it rains in LA,” states Zack Gold, a student in the program, “this is when bacteria levels are the highest, increasing your likelihood of getting sick.” Katie Rowbotham, another student in the program adds, “Fecal bacteria is just one of the many harmful things urban runoff carries, which can include trash, cigarette butts, pathogens and even heavy metals.”

Shocked by their findings, these committed students are even more inspired to be involved in doing everything possible to make their ocean a clean and safe place for fun.  For more information about the program, or to find out how you can help prevent urban runoff, visit: http://teachtestsm.blogspot.com/.