Host Peter Kreitler: This is our 12th show. Today we are reviewing the quality of the air, water and life in the Los Angeles area.

Lillian Kawasaki, Director of Environmental Affairs for the City of Los Angeles, says that we are making substantial progress in air quality and may soon be able to meet Federal clean air standards. She also sees the formerly contaminated industrial sites called brownfields are an opportunity for new development to revitalize the city.

Mark Gold, Executive Director of Heal the Bay: We are making some progress but the health effects are still very high, and we have a long way to go. We need to attack the transportation problems, and not be smug that we are having less days in violation of air quality. Smog is only one of our many problems -- we need to look at the entire environment.

Susan Munvez, Environmental Affairs for the City of Santa Monica: The biggest challenges are water, energy, waste, toxics, and reducing the impact we have on the natural environment. We are making incremental progress in some areas and losing in other areas. The City of Santa Monica is purchasing alternative-fueled vehicles and increasing bus service, but we are still visited by many fossil-fueled vehicles. We hope to see more electric and fuel-celled vehicles.

Santa Monica is looking for businesses that can set up solar energy arrays on their rooftops, parking structures, and lots. It is best to integrate them into building structures when they are being built, because you need sloping roofs for best solar efficiency.

Mark Gold: Santa Monica Bay was especially healthy in 1997 because: (1) 220 straight days of no rain reduced runoff, and (2) improved facilities at Hyperion (LA City sewage treatment plant) are reducing sewage flows into the Bay. Full secondary treatment will be completed December 31, 1998, and LA County Sanitation will be at full secondary by 2002. Already we are seeing increased marine life in the bay. Even the area of the sewage pipe outfall is almost completely recovered. However, most of the 85 cities with runoff that flows into the Bay are ignoring the requirements of the Clean Water Act to reduce pollution from storm water runoff.

Peter Kreitler: After a rain I see a lot of debris caught by a fence across Ballona Creek.

Mark Gold: Now that fence catches only 10% of the debris, but there is $8 million available for an improved fence to reduce the debris. However, the fence will only stop the floating trash, not all the oil and gas and pesticides that continue to contaminate the Bay.

Lillian Kawasaki says the City of Los Angeles has reduced the waste sent to landfills, so that it is now only 45% of its level in 1990, and we are on the way to a 60% reduction by the year 2000.

Susan Munvez: We have a mandate in bill AB939 by reduce waste to landfills by 50% by the year 2000.

Mark Gold: The problem is some cities want to delay the mandate. The Los Angeles region should lead the way to maintain the requirements.

Susan Munvez: The City of Santa Monica has a Sustainable City Program, led by a task force on the environment, that has put together a holistic view of the environment, showing the way various environmental measures can work together in synergy.

Mark Gold: The Sustainable City Program needs to spread to the entire region.

Susan Munvez: Wetlands are essential to keep the Bay healthy, but we have almost no coastal wetlands left. The Malibu Lagoon is degraded by people along Malibu Creek with septic tank problems and horses. We are glad we now have an agreement that the Tapia water treatment plant will have to stop discharges from May 1 to Nov. 1.

The Ballona wetlands is the most important one in the entire region. We need more work to bring in tidal circulation, etc. There have been some volunteers that have done great work on this wetland.

Peter Kreitler: We should take a holistic approach and make the connection that every decision we make and every action we take has environmental consequences.

Susan Munvez: Farmers markets have wonderful organic food and improve the quality of life for people. They bring people together, honor small farmers and businesses, and allow artists to display their crafts.

Susan Munvez: The report card on the quality of life in Santa Monica is a "B."

Mark Gold: The state of the Bay is a "C." The quality of the air in the region is a "C-" (C minus).

We all need to participate in the solutions, such as: be careful where you put your trash, always recycle, purchase less toxics and clean up after pets so you don't swim in the pet droppings that often flow into the Bay with the rain water runoff.

Peter Kreitler: Is the Bay safe to swim in? Do we still have all the monitoring stations?

Mark Gold: Two years ago the City of LA has stopped monitoring the quality of the Bay at the Ballona Creek, but they now have a site 200 yards south of the creek outlet. Actually between Venice and Manhattan Beach there are 7 monitoring locations, but the newspaper did not report them all. Our website show all the monitoring locations.

Jerry Rubin: Many environmental groups don't understand why Heal the Bay is not opposing the Playa Vista development which will be twice the size of Century City and produce 10 tons/day of new smog and 200,000 additional car trips in an already overcrowded road system.

Mark Gold: Heal the Bay is voting on a position on the expansion of LAX this Wednesday. We have been consistent in awaiting the publication of the Phase II EIR before we complete our position on Playa Vista.