Citizens, Local Agencies Protest EPA's Push to Restore Malibu Creek Watershed

Tensions ran high at a Wednesday evening workshop where a standing-room-only crowd voiced strong opposition to the proposed restoration of the Malibu Creek Watershed that the federal government says is required.

The meeting, conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, was hosted by the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Joint Powers Authority in the council chambes of Agoura Hills City Hall.

Cindy Lin of the EPA presented findings as to why the Malibu Creek Watershed is considered "impaired water" and why it must be restored.

Under the federal Clean Water Act, states are required to develop pollution reduction plans for waters that are impaired by pollutants. Such plans are called Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and must be approved by the EPA.

However, local agencies such as the Las Virgenes-Triunfo JPA have expressed concerns over the EPA's findings and the high cost of compliance, sentiments echoed by many of the people in the audience.

Lin explained that once a body of water is cited as "impaired," new pollution reduction plans must be implemented.

The problems were identified, according to Lin, as sedimentation and benthic macroinvertibrates. A recent press release stated:

Benthic communities are aquatic organisms like clams and shellfish that live at the bottom of these water bodies. Protecting these communities is critical for the estuarine and stream ecosystem as it provides the necessary food for birds and other animal life in Malibu Creek.

Click here to review the data.

David Pedersen, general manager for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, said the JPA's concerns included "inadequate evidence" and exorbitant costs of compliance, "estimated to be $307 million in capital and $23.5 million annually for [operation and maintenance]."

"The natural characteristics of the watershed have largely been dismissed," he said.

Other speakers represented Heal the Bay, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, the County of Los Angeles and the County of Ventura.

During the presentations, there were frequent outbursts from audience members wanting answers regarding research specifications.

Neil Ticktin, an outspoken local resident and proprietor of the website Westlake Revelations, called upon Lin during the Q & A session to be sure of her facts.

"You use words like 'we think,' 'we believe.' ... Before you go and spend one to two years of my kid's college tuition to go do this, you'd better know....'" he said.

As it stands now, Lin said she will take the communities' concerns back to the EPA to be recorded for consideration, and that nothing is written in stone.

Outside City Hall, Agoura Hills resident Carol Spinner expressed her own concerns.

"If we are so unique here, why aren't we taking our time that this is done right," she said. "This is a huge burden on a very small part of California."