MAC speaks at June 11th, 2020 LA Water Board Hearing.
If left up to the City of Oxnard, the LA Water Board and the local farmers organization VCAILG*, our harbor could become polluted and unsafe—like McGrath Lake to our north. At issue—the ‘QAPP’ Quality Assurance Project Plan for water quality monitoring has been revised/downgraded for almost a year, by city staff according to the Water Board at a public meeting (6/11/20). CINC/MAC advocates for ongoing bacterial and nutrient testing by the City with volunteer labor provided by MAC and students from CSUCI. The financially responsible parties are both the City and the County. It is up to them to identify a solution, bringing our harbor back to the pristine condition it once was. When the power plant closed in 2018 it exposed the fact that for years, 2,400 acres of ag fields discharged unfiltered runoff into the Edison Canal. Both the City and the County’s scientist/consultants have stated their opinions about excess nutrients and pesticides found in farm field runoff. The County BOS has voted and approved $477,000 (2020) to trace bacteria that ends up on our harbor’s Kiddie & Hobie swimming beaches. VCAILG’s BMPs (best management practices) are not addressing the environmental issues of today, in our harbor…