Purpose of the Meeting
Adi Liberman, Deputy to Councilmember Ruth Galanter: Our goal is to resurrect an Environmental Roundtable that Jan Chatten-Brown used to convene when she was at the District Attorney's office. We want to bring people from elected officials and environmental groups to talk about what is going on and enlist people in various campaigns, to keep the movement working together as a whole, rather than only working in our own separate worlds.
These are not meetings convened by Council District 6. Our office will facilitate by sending out notices. We would like others to come forth with the agenda for future meetings.
Kathleen Gildred, Director of the Southern California Council on Environment and Development: SCCED's desire is to help the members of the environmental community to be in communication with each other.
Jan Chatten-Brown, attorney: The office of the California Attorney General first convened such a group, the last monthly meetings was when Tom Bradley was Mayor. We did brainstorming, sharing issues, and coordinated how to work together. Sometimes we had speakers, such as the Regional Administrator of EPA.
Ruth Galanter, Councilmember, City of Los Angeles: The purpose of the Environmental Roundtable is whatever all of us want to make it. It is an opportunity to get together and share once a month. You can bring anyone you want. You can make announcements of upcoming events and suggest issues to be discussed. Call Adi at 213-485-3357 ahead of time and let us know if you have an issue with a particular deadline.
Introductions
Ruth Galanter, Councilmember, City of Los Angeles: I was just at a press conference about legislation Barbara Boxer is introducing to exempt electric vehicles from the luxury vehicle tax. Our purpose today is sharing information, let's introduce ourselves.
Woody Hastings, Deputy to Councilmember Richard AlarcÛn: Environmental justice is the over-arching concern for all environmental issues in Council District 7. With about 70% Latino population, it seems Council District 7 has been a dumping ground for the city. After helping to close the Lopes Landfill, which will happen on July 2, we are working on the aftermath, to help create a solid waste management system for the City that maximizes source reduction and recycling. We are also concerned with the oil pipeline scheduled to be built through the City and have helped organize opposition.
Gary Gero, Los Angeles City Environmental Affairs, representing Lillian Kawasaki: We coordinate environmental policy within the city, on all environmental issues. We deal with Mayor and Council and all the departments.
Melanie Ingalls, National Audubon Society: We do programs for school children, teacher training, etc.
Susan Kirschbaum, Jewish Center Association: We interpret environmental issues to the Jewish community. I work on a coalition on the environment and Jewish groups.
Jan Chatten-Brown, attorney: I'm an environmental lawyer working on many issues including the Santa Monica Mountains, Red Line, Los Angeles River parapet walls, opposing the 710 Freeway through South Pasadena, preventing oil drilling in Santa Monica Bay, opposing the Deane Dana park, etc.
John Slifko, Congressman Berman's Office: He is ranking member of the Asia Pacific Subcommittee, so we are working on technology issues. We are about to lose our lead to Japan on fuel cell manufacturing, which is a $1 trillion market, but the Los Angeles area could become the center for this work. We are supporting international partnerships between Asia and US. We are also working on New Factory America, to support advanced manufacturing and the revolution in information technology. It will act as an employment mechanism, working on projects involving environmentally conscious technologies in Los Angeles, Kansas City, MO, and Long Island. The Defense Department, which is worried about its supplier base, will come up with matching funds. This will support clean and agile manufacturing for Los Angeles. It is decentralized so you can work with small companies in each of the Council Districts.
Marvin Braude, Councilmember: I am a user of Santa Monica Bay shoreline, I ride bicycles along the beach. I am a Los Angeles City Councilmember with Bay shoreline in my district, and I want to keep the bay beautiful. As an environmentalist I will help to fight the fights, especially on the storm water issue.
Bruce Saito, Los Angeles Conservation Corps: We have hundreds of young people that do conservation and beautification projects throughout the area.
Jim Stewart, SCCED: I will produce minutes of this meeting which will be mailed out to everyone here.
Iylene Weiss: I am working on restoration of Ballona Lagoon in Venice, challenging the Marina del Rey land use plan. I serve on the Bay Watershed Council, LA River Task Force, and was co-founder of the Oceanic Society.
Kathleen Gildred, SCCED: We started out after the Earth Summit to promote a dialogue between the government, business and environmentalists. We have defined principles of sustainability, challenges and goals for the region. We have held seven conferences and many forums. We have Task Forces on Water, Waste, Transportation and Education. We bring experts in the field to look at the highest priority actions. For example, the Transportation Task Force found little public input on transportation planning, so we are working with the Center for Neighborhood Technology to get more communities and groups involved. The Waste Task Force is working on educating municipal waste coordinators on recycling. The Water Task Force prepared a paper on water recycling. The Education Task Force will look at ways to educate the public on sustainability. We also prepare an annual Environment and Development Indicator Report on the state of the region, which we can make available to you.
Nancy Sutley, USEPA Los Angeles Office: I work on local government liaison for Region X. We are working on Santa Monica Bay as part of the national estuary program, looking at health effects, sources of pollution, etc. We have a brownfields action agenda to clean up sites in inner city. We are also reviewing clean air plans for Los Angeles Basin, and supporting the partnership for pollution prevention to create partnerships with industries such as laundries and dry cleaners.
Mark Wirth and Gretchen, Congresswoman Jane Harman's Office: We are working on Ballona Wetlands, and EPA issues such as the Delano Montrose situation.
Sandy Brown, Senator Tom Hayden's office: He is chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee. We are working on the Runyon Canyon issue, Santa Monica Bay, looking at environmental implications of LAX expansion, and many other issues.
Steve Gray-Barkan, Heal the Bay: We are working on the storm water permit.
Moe Stavnezer, Friends of Ballona Wetlands: I am the only staff person of Friends of Ballona Wetlands, which is most important and most controversial issue this year. I am doing community outreach, and would like to arrange a presentation for each of you.
Ed Begley, Jr., actor, environmentalist: I work with the Environmental Media Association (EMA), the Walden Woods Project, Environmental Research Foundation, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. I focus on air quality, transportation, electric vehicles, solar, and wind power.
Andy Goodman, Environmental Media Associates (EMA): We put the power of film and television media into the environmental issues. Storm water is the current key issue. We are holding a June 5 event at the Hard Rock Cafe to launch a 40 day campaign to get the permit passed.
Jacqueline Hannan, Clean Air Now: We have a solar hydrogen vehicle project. We are making 100% pollution free hydrogen from sunlight and water. We invite anyone to contact us regarding a tour of the site and welcome the possibility of establishing solar hydrogen infrastructure facilities in the City of Los Angeles.
Ruth Galanter: As chair of the Environmental Committee, we are concerned with DWP, water supply, electric cars, storm drains, Hyperion, new pipes to bring water, Ballona Wetlands, Venice Beach, Canals, etc.
Dorothy Green, Heal the Bay: We are working on the storm water permit. We have convened the stakeholders for comprehensive watershed planning, we have a new board of government and community groups. I also serve on the Board of POWER, public officials who convene an annual water policy conference in the state.
Adi Liberman, Deputy to Councilmember Ruth Galanter: A big issue is LAX's planned expansion which will have dramatic environmental and traffic impact. There are now 48 million passengers per year, and they project 100 million by 2015. They want to add another set of runways out into the ocean, over the dunes. Sandy Brown is also working on this. Over the next 18 months this will be a big issue.
J. P. Ellman, City of L.A. Board of Public Works: We handle solid and liquid waste, including recycling programs. We have recently offered recycling of mixed paper, including junk mail, cereal boxes, even fax paper. We are contracting for more separation. We also have a new experiment in which residents can put all recyclables into one blue container with sorting at the MRF (materials recovery facility). This increases the participation rate. The key is to get the word out, including TV ads, perhaps EMA can help us. We also work on storm water issues.
Jan Chatten-Brown: How about putting a tax on Styrofoam and other products that can't be recycled?
Gail Feuer, NRDC: We have 4 people working on storm water issues. We have lawsuits and an injunction against CalTrans, and we are trying to enforce judgments. We are also suing EPA to get a better State Air Plan. We are also working on toxic issues, environmental justice, and endangered species.
David Beckman, attorney, NRDC: We are working on a hazardous waste facility (Statewide Environmental Services, 122 and Main St.) in the middle of South Central Los Angeles, near residences, that is poorly run, with many accidents. We have a hearing June 19 before the City Planning Commission about shutting it down.
Tammy Boyer, NRDC.
Sue Garbowitz, Canadian Consulate of Los Angeles: I represent the Canadian government on environmental issues. We recognize the challenge on forestry issues, especially in British Columbia. Before this I was working on Santa Monica Bay Restoration planning.
Christopher Westhoff, L.A. City Attorney's Office: I am the City's chief garbage and sewage lawyer, working on Hyperion, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and other issues.
Ginny, engineer in L.A. City Attorney's Office.
Martha Davis, President, Mono Lake Committee: We work on water recycling, water conservation, Bay Delta issues, environmental justice, community-based organizations, Conservation Polity 101, reinvestment in our community in Los Angeles. We are seeking creative coalitions with other organizations. I am seeking a successor.
Jeffrey Prang, Deputy to Councilmember Ruth Galanter.
Diana Brueggemann, Deputy to L.A. Councilmember Laura Chick: She serves on the Land Use Committee and is concerned with the Sepulveda Basin Area, septic waste issues, Van Nuys airport, waste and other issues. We need to educate people especially on green waste.
Lisa Weil, representing Maguire Thomas Partners: I am practicing law. In the past I ran Mel Levine's campaign, worked on offshore drilling and Santa Monica Bay estuary issues. Now I am doing public relations for Playa Vista.
Roger Gorke, Heal the Bay: We're working on storm water issues.
Tim Carmichael, Coalition for Clean Air: We're working on the State air quality plan (SIP), especially the health impacts of particulates (PM10), trying to get MTA, Foothill, and Santa Monica city busses to dump diesel. We're also working with NRDC on the ozone aspects of the SIP. We're tracking legislation in the State Assembly. We are seeking a new Director.
Gary Grow, City Attorney for Santa Monica: I'm an environmental lawyer working drinking wells contaminated by MBTE, and other issues.
Regional Storm Water Permit
Roger Gorke, Heal the Bay: On July 15 the California Regional Water Quality Board, Los Angeles Region, will vote on the proposed Regional Storm Water Permit. The 8 members are all appointed by the Governor. We need letters of support for the Permit sent to the Board, with copies to the Governor. We especially need letters from the business community. We need quality business people to talk to the Regional Board. The Board is only beholden to the Governor.
Many people are seeing it as an economic issue, because much of the economy of Southern California depends on tourists who are attracted by the beaches and the boating and fishing in the Bay. We can also tie storm water to public health. According to a study just released, people get sick swimming near storm drains, but not in the ocean away from the drains.
The Cities of Los Angeles, Malibu and Santa Monica and the County are supporting it, but opposition from a few smaller cities is the biggest problem. Some South Bay Cities, including Redondo Beach and El Segundo, say they can't afford it. Contact us if you have connections with these and other cities. We also need people at the meeting on July 15 at the County Hall of Administration, which seats 900 people.
Suggestions from the group:
Ä Make a presentation at SCAG's next meeting.
Ä There is a meeting of the League of Cities on June 9. Members of surfer associations could approach their cities.
Ä Richard Atwater of the Central and South Water Basins is a good connection.
Ä The Earth Spirit environmental bulletin board could help advertise the meeting.
Ä We could talk about how the seals, dolphins, whales, and sea lions are affected, because the public responds to that.
Ä Emotional testimony might be helpful. We could have a group of young people with towels ready to go to the beach, but are afraid to get sick.
Ä Talk to the tourism industry.
Ä The Valley Industry and Commerce Association might be supportive.
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