CoastWatcher

Ed. Note:  So the Coastal Commission ‘approved’ the Poseidon plan to try to build one of the largest desalination plants in the world last week.  Or did they?  The Commission’s ‘conceptual’ approval without knowing of or mitigating catastrophic damages to coastal resources, ocean fisheries and the climate gives rise to legal and ethical questions like:  how can you approve a development you know nothing about when the Coastal Act clearly requires that environmental impacts be resolved BEFORE a development is approved?!?
What is the impact of desalination on marine life?
Poseidon ordered to offset marine deaths
Michael Burge, San Diego Union-Tribune
17 Nov 07;

CARLSBAD – Poseidon Resources has persuaded the Coastal Commission to give it a permit to build an ocean-water desalination plant in Carlsbad, but the strings attached to that permit may tie up the developer for months, or even years.

After an 8 ½-hour hearing and lengthy debate Thursday, commissioners voted 9-3 to give Poseidon a coastal permit to build the desalination plant – but only after attaching more than 20 conditions. Read the rest of this entry »

The Orange County Register story below barely begins to tell the awful tale of how Coastal Commission member Dan Secord and his merry band of development crazed panel members sought to gut their staff’s expert and scientific recommendations in order to allow Shea Homes to bulldoze and destroy wetlands and raptor habitat at the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach late last evening.

It wasn’t as though coastal scientists and environmentalists sought to deny development. In fact, the preferred plan would have allowed even more than the 170 houses sought by Shea, but would have used a clustered approach to save wetlands on the property and insure endangered white tailed kite raptors survive the subdivision.

Secord, notably, embarrassed himself and the intergrity of the entire California coastal program with his relentless efforts to destroy every bit of coastal resource protection conditions contained in the staff analysis. Secord even said, at one point, “Help me here, I want to delete the wetland.” Watch it for yourself as it is all on internet video available on the Coastal Commission website at www.coastal.ca.gov. (Note: Commission member Dan Secord is an appointment of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger – three of four of the Governor’s panel members- Brooks Firestone, Bonnie Neely and Secord- read off the Shea Homes crib notes for their actions. Only gubernatorial appointment, Steve Blank, made an effort to protect wetlands and raptor habitat at the site. Worse, ALL FOUR of Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez’ appoinments to the Commission- Ben Hueso, Patrick Kruer, William Burke and Dave Potter- towed Shea Homes’ freight. Sadly, only two of Senate leader Don Perata’s appointments- Sara Wan and Mary Shallenberger- sought to protect the wetlands, while the other two- Larry Clark and Mike Reilly- both sided with Shea.

In the end, it was a great day for a growing corps of highly paid pro-development lobbyists and the ‘wine and dine’ atmosphere of the Commission and a sad commentary on the direction of the Commission, where coastal development and private profits trump even marginal resource protection efforts.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Homes next to wetlands OK’d by coastal panel
Shea Homes proponents and opponents are confused, however, as to exactly how much land both sides lost for their causes.
BY CINDY CARCAMO and ANNIE BURRIS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
http://www.ocregister.com/news/land-shea-wetlands-1923102-commissioners-homes#
SAN DIEGO – A developer who plans to build a residential community on a 50-acre parcel of land in Huntington Beach gained coastal commission approval that gives a green light to build near one of the county’s last wetlands. Read the rest of this entry »

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sonar14nov14,1,2780095.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true
Los Angeles Times

Ruling restores sonar ban off coast
Navy is told to devise new safeguards for marine mammals for its next training missions.
By Kenneth R. Weiss
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

November 14, 2007

A federal appeals court Tuesday restored a ban on the U.S. Navy’s use of submarine-hunting sonar in upcoming training missions off Southern California until it adopts better safeguards for whales, dolphins and other marine mammals.
Read the rest of this entry »

Ed Note:  Come see your Coastal Commission in action.  The California Coastal Commission meets next week in San Diego at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel, 1433 Camino del Rio S. in Mission Valley.  The Carlsbad Desalination proposal is scheduled to be heard on November 15.  The meeting starts at 8 a.m.  If you cannot attend, you can view the proceedings live via the internet.  For the staff report and more information, go to the Coastal Commission website at www.coastal.ca.gov 

Proposal for water plant is rejected
Coastal panel staff finds flaws in plan

By Michael Burge
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 3, 2007
CARLSBAD – The staff of the California Coastal Commission has rejected a private developer’s proposal to build an ocean-water desalination plant on Carlsbad’s coast.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20071103-9999-1mi3desal.html
The commission staff’s 88-page report, released yesterday, says the proposal to produce 50 million gallons a day of drinking water “would cause significant adverse impacts to marine life and water quality in Agua Hedionda and in near-shore ocean waters.”
Connecticut-based Poseidon Resources proposes a $300 million plant at the Encina Power Station, at Carlsbad Boulevard and Cannon Road. The power station draws cooling water from Agua Hedionda Lagoon, which is connected to the ocean by an inlet.
Read the rest of this entry »