Orange County Sewage Spills Reach Alarming Rate

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Orange County cities regularly violate the law by ignoring hundreds of illegal sewage spills each year or reporting them too late to effect any kind of public health protection. Twelve million gallons of sewage have spilled into the county's streets, streams and ocean. What cause these spills? How do Southland cities rationalize failing to report them? What are local and state governments are doing to stop them? We ask a journalist, a state water quality authority, the head of a Santa Monica environmental group, and an LA City waste water manager. (Managing editor Kyle McKinnon guest hosts.) Newsmaker: Alatorre Gets Three Years Probation for Tax Evasion - Former LA city councilman Richard Alatorre was sentenced to three years probation for tax evasion after admitting that he had accepted 41,000 dollars from influence peddlers. The LA Weekly's Marc Haefele details Alatorre's career, downfall, and political future, which includes a substantial contract with the Department of Water and Power. Reporter's Notebook: Public Opposition to El Toro Airport Grows - An appellate court has refused to stop Orange County from accepting petitions for an initiative to build a park on the former El Toro Marine Base. The county had previously planned to build a regional airport on the site. Christian Collet directed the recently released poll by Pacific Opinions, which found a mixture of public sentiments.
Orange County cities regularly violate the law by ignoring hundreds of illegal sewage spills each year or reporting them too late to effect any kind of public health protection. Twelve million gallons of sewage have spilled into the county's streets, streams and ocean. What cause these spills? How do Southland cities rationalize failing to report them? What are local and state governments are doing to stop them? We ask a journalist, a state water quality authority, the head of a Santa Monica environmental group, and an LA City waste water manager. (Managing editor Kyle McKinnon guest hosts.)
  • Newsmaker: Alatorre Gets Three Years Probation for Tax Evasion - Former LA city councilman Richard Alatorre was sentenced to three years probation for tax evasion after admitting that he had accepted 41,000 dollars from influence peddlers. The LA Weekly's Marc Haefele details Alatorre's career, downfall, and political future, which includes a substantial contract with the Department of Water and Power.
  • Reporter's Notebook: Public Opposition to El Toro Airport Grows - An appellate court has refused to stop Orange County from accepting petitions for an initiative to build a park on the former El Toro Marine Base. The county had previously planned to build a regional airport on the site. Christian Collet directed the recently released poll by Pacific Opinions, which found a mixture of public sentiments.

LA Weekly

US Dept of Justice Report

CA State Water Resources Control Board

Los Angeles City's Sanitation Bureau

Orange County Register

Santa Monica Baykeeper

El Toro Airport Information Site

Pacific Opinions

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney

Producer:

Frances Anderton