Importance of Discharge Prohibition in Coastal Permit
This content emphasizes the necessity of a Discharge Prohibition in a coastal permit to protect marine life and ensure timely implementation of mitigation measures. Learn from past experiences in Carlsbad and insights from former board member William Von Blasingame.
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Presentation Transcript
Keep the Discharge Prohibition in the Permit California Coastal Protection Network April 23, 2021
Regional Board Staff: Why the Discharge Prohibition is Needed - To avoid a situation where the Discharger would be operating and harming marine life without beginning to implement the restoration components to mitigate for those impacts. - Without the Discharge Prohibition, there is no legally enforceable mechanism to require Poseidon to start the mitigation in a timely manner. - Poseidon s alternative removes the incentive for the Discharger to submit satisfactory plans and allows them to pollute without final plans receiving Board approval. - Poseidon s slap on the wrist for for failing to complete tasks cuts the penalties of up to $5000 per day per violation down to roughly $700 per day.
Carlsbads MLMP: The Cautionary Tale - Poseidon received permits from the Coastal Commission and the San Diego Regional Water Board in 2007 and 2008; the permits had benchmarks for mitigation but no firm Discharge Prohibition. - The Carlsbad Plant opened in 2015 and has been intaking ocean life and discharging toxic brine for FIVE years. - Five years after the start of operations, NONE of the mitigation required by the Coastal Commission or the Regional Board has been implemented to date. - Brookfield, Poseidon s $600B owner, sold the Carlsbad plant in 2019 to British-based Aberdeen Standard for over $1B. Poseidon is now only the manager of the plant. A Discharge Prohibition would ensure that the mitigation was completed regardless of who Brookfield may sell the Poseidon Huntington Beach Plant to.
Former Board Member William Von Blasingame: Keep the Discharge Prohibition in the Permit my experience that to remove the mitigation language that required before there could be any intake or discharge, to remove that requirement I think is a big mistake. It s a huge mistake. And I think that language should be in any proposal and it gets done Anything less and you don t know. ...You want to get it done because we know that this project is going to cause damage and the mitigation is a vital part of that process. it s not unusual for regulators to require it all around the world and in California. that s why I am so insistent on it. Because it s typical.
