Attendance: Kathleen Gildred, SCCED; Sara Nichols; Jan Chatten-Brown, environmental attorney; Kris Haddad, Santa Monica Baykeeper; Lisa Weil, Maguire Thomas Partners; Ed Begley, environmentalist; Martha Davis and Frances Spivy-Weber, Mono Lake Committee; Derek Chernow, Americans for a Safe Future; Nancy Perlman, ECONEWS; Kathy Knight, Sierra Club; Gloria Sonheim, Del Rey Association; Jerry Rubin, LA Alliance for Survival; Sue Garbowitz, Canadian Consulate; Adi Liberman, Councilmember Ruth Galanter's office; Vicky Almon; Lillian Kawasaki, LA Environmental Affairs Dept.; Eleanor Long, LA County Office of Health Services; Lucy Bailey; Saran Krischbaum, Jewish Community Center; Woody Hastings, Councilmember Richard AlarcŪn's office; James Provenzano, Clean Air Now; Peter Moore-Kochlacs, Environmental Ministries; Israel Feuer, Save Ballona Wetlands; Mary Altmann, Resource Conservation District; Marcia Hanscom, Wetlands Action Network & Sierra Club; Mike Bonin, Council District 6 office; Sandy Brown, Senator Hayden's office; Carla Jetton, Nature Film Company; Ericka Lozano, Councilmember Michael Feuer's office; Maxine Leichter, LA Environmental Affairs Dept.
Owens Lake - Martha Davis: Owens Valley has a severe air quality problem, with high particulate matter PM10. Large dust plumes come off the lake because of water diversion by the City of Los Angeles. The Great Basin AQMD has determined the area is in violation of PM10 standards. The restitution plan would cost LA $70 million and leave many acre feet in the lake which would cost the City more for water. The City has an obligation to address these issues. If the City will not work out an agreement, then the Great Basin AQMD will put its plan into force.
Adi Liberman: This is a reasonable plan and should be implemented. If LA allows the water to flow into the lake, that will stabilize the dust problem. Gravel and sand fences would be more expensive.
Martha Davis: The issue is that the Great Basin people have tried to come up with least cost alternatives. How can we support the city in coming to an equitable solution?
Kris Haddad: Can we also talk about the health costs of the PM10 pollution?
Martha Davis: The problem is the people in the Owens Valley are not voting in the City of LA, so we need to help them.
Is there land that could be turned into agricultural purposes? Can we turn Owens Lake into part of the inland flyway as it once was for migrating birds?
The City did the right thing in agreeing to keep water in Mono Lake, now the issue is the solution to the last part of the Mono Lake Basin. We understand the up front costs are expensive, but nature can take over the restoration process to eliminate on-going costs.
We hope that the City will do the right thing. We could send letters to Ruth Galanter and the Mayor. Martha Davis will draft a sample letter and distribute it.
Lillian Kawasaki: The State owns the Owens Lake bed and must be a party to the solution.
Martha Davis: The state played a role in protecting Mono Lake. There was also federal funding.
Jan Chatten-Brown: Relative to buying replacement water for 10% of the city's water supply, we could do additional water reclamation and conservation.
Martha Davis: The DWP deserves credit for water conservation. The City buys only about 20% of its water from MWD. There are also water recycling projects that are coming on line.
Kris Haddad: I see a lot of water wastage here, as people wash their driveways down with water, and grow water-loving plants.
Jan Chatten-Brown: TreePeople has an impressive rainwater reclamation plan.
Electricity De-regulation - Adi Liberman: Electricity is deregulating in 1998 and the DWP will have to compete. The DWP will have its environmental programs affected, such as energy efficiency. There will be debates over whether rates will decrease to large users.
Kathleen Gildred: SCCED will sponsor a forum on this topic and we will announce it to you.
Woody Hastings: A Federal court is considering ordering DWP to lock in rates. There will be a meeting Feb. 4 at 9 am. Call me at 213-847-7777.
Expansion of LAX - Adi Liberman: The Airport Dept. has come up with four alternatives for expansion. In 6 months they will release an EIS and EIR on the alternatives. I will keep you informed.
Environmental Issues Re: Mayoral Elections - Jerry Rubin: The upcoming mayoral race is important and we need to talk about environmental issues. We could propose an environmental debate by the mayoral candidates. We should help educate people about environmental issues. I will prepare a draft letter for groups to help support a debate.
Adi Liberman: Many of us are prohibited from any form of partisan politics, or promoting a particular candidate.
Martha Davis: The original purpose of this group is to bring together people working on many environmental topics to help people keep informed.
Jan Chatten-Brown: The LA league of Conservation Voters would be quite capable of assessing the environmental records of candidates. Those who wish could sign on to a letter to the League of Conservation Voters that it is important to hold a debate. Every organization with a newsletter, such as the Sierra Club, could present information on the issues.
Nancy Perlman: We should include all the races, City Council, Community Colleges, Board of Education, etc.
Marcia Hanscom: I will raise this with the Sierra Club. I will write a draft letter.
LA River Litigation - Jan Chatten Brown: We got the judge to remand the decision on the LA River back to the Board of Supervisors. The result was a commitment to provide $250,000 for an independent study of alternatives to the parapet walls. Dorothy Green is president of the Council looking at this. There has been cohesiveness achieved between historical enemies. The consultant has been retained to find alternatives to the walls. There is new money for restoration. The President of FoLAR has met with Mayor Riordan. The MTA now has money to do the bikeway all along the 52 miles of the River. I see a lot of progress, much of it aided by this group.
Regional Transportation Plan - Kathleen Gildred: SCCED's Transportation Task Force is looking at increasing public participation into transportation planning. SCAG is working on a draft plan that will be completed in April. We need to look at what will work, such as state of the art solutions, databases, etc.
Rex Gephart from the MTA is doing a new study of bus service.
Jim Stewart: We could invite SCAG to present the Draft Transportation plan at the next Roundtable meeting.
Environmental Indicators - Eleanor Long: As we are approaching the year 2000, we need an environmental update for the year 2000, measuring progress toward environmental solutions.
Saran Krischbaum: Let's look at projections for the next 20 - 30 years, and how LA will be affected by big problems, such as water and transportation, open space, etc.
Kathleen Gildred: SCCED has done an annual Environmental report card, we will look at this.
Ward Valley Nuclear Dump - Peter Moore-Kochlacs: We are holding an update on Ward Valley on March 2, 1997 at Holman Methodist Church. Call 818-344-7870.
Earth Day '97 - Mary Altmann: We are organizing an event called Earth, Water, Air LA (EWALA) linking the last few open spaces for wildlife preservation in LA County. We will leave Ahmanson Ranch on April 20 and arrive at the Ballona Wetlands on Earth Day, April 22. Contact me at 818-991-8151 or 310-456-8300.
Jerry Rubin: The Alliance for Survival will also hold an Earth Day event (310) 399-1000.
Marcia Hanscom: The 1997 Great LA Clean Up is being sponsored by Sierra Club, with a big event on April 26. Call 213-387-4287 to participate.
Ballona Wetlands - Marcia Hanscom: The Sierra Club has a task force on the Ballona Wetlands. We created a slide show on the wildlife there. Call 310-280-3305 if you would like to arrange a showing.
Public Service Announcements - Nancy Perlman: I have copies of a Headwaters Forest PSA and a PSA on Overpopulation, which are available from ECONEWS, call 310-559-9160.
Poison Prevention Week during March 17-21 has a children's health education art contest. Public Health Week is in April. For information contact Eleanor Long at 213-351-1908.
Open Space Initiative - Kathleen Gildred: SCCED is identifying groups interested in Open Space issues in LA County. Call me at 310-455-1603.
Woody Hastings: We're involved in environmental education and may be able to help.
Eco-Expo - Kathleen Gildred: SCCED is organizing a conference "Five Years After the Earth Summit: Where are we -- scientifically and politically -- globally, nationally and locally?" with Lester Brown of the Worldwatch Institute on Saturday, March 22, 12:30 - 5:30 pm.