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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-15-2002 Board Minutes - SpecialOrange County Sanitation District MINUTES SPECIAL BOARD MEETING MAY 15, 2002 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 10844 ELLIS AVENUE FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIFORNIA 92708-7018 Minutes for Board Meeting Page 2 05/15/02 ROLL CALL A special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Orange County Sanitation District was held on May 15, 2002, at 6:00 p.m., in the District's Administrative Offices. Following the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation the roll was called and the Secretary reported a quorum present as follows: ACTIVE DIRECTORS ALTERNATE DIRECTORS x Norman Z. Eckenrode, Chair Constance Underhill x Shirley McCracken, Vice Chair Tom Daly x Mike Alvarez Mark A. Murphy x Steve Anderson Steve Simonian x Don Bankhead Jan Flory A Shawn Boyd John Larson x Brian Brady Darryl Miller Debbie Cook x Connie Boardman x Laurann Cook Larry Crandall x Brian Donahue David Shawver x James M. Ferryman Arlene Schafer x John M. Gullixson Michael Duvall x Alice B. Jempsa Arthur DeBolt x Tony Kawashima Tracy Worley x Beth Krom Greg Smith x Mark Leyes Bruce Broadwater Pat McGuigan x Alberta Christy x Roy Moore Marty Simonoff x Joy Neugebauer Grace Epperson x Russell Patterson Richard A. Freschi x Anna L. Piercy Tim Keenan x Tod Ridgeway Gary Adams x Jerry Sigler Jim Dow x Jim Silva Chuck Smith x Paul Walker Kenneth Blake STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Blake P. Anderson, General Manager; Penny Kyle, Board Secretary; Bob Ghirelli; Dave Ludwin; Patrick Miles; Lisa Murphy; Bob Ooten; Gary Streed; Lisa Tomko; Jeff Reed; Sonja Wassgren; Jennifer Cabral; Lynn Jensen; Juanita Skillman; George Robertson; Mike Moore; Sam Mowbray; Charles McGee; Kelly Christiansen OTHERS PRESENT: Thomas L. Woodruff, General Counsel; Alternate Director Grace Epperson; Don Hughes; Patricia Holden; Cynthia Cudaback; Marlene Noble; Burt Jones; Leslie Rosenfeld; John Largier; Stanley Grant; Brett Sanders; Don Ito; Art Perry; Sean Fitzgerald; Larry Honeybourne; Don May; Julia Puentes; Mike Noonan; Chris Previatt; Don Lucas; Robert Minutes for Board Meeting Page 3 05/15/02 Beardsley; Irwin Haydock; Jan Vandersloot; Larry Porter; Randy Fuhrman; Dennis Baker; Doug Korthof; Eileen Murphy; Don McGee; Peer Swan; Joan Irvine Smith; Ed Guilmette; G. Van Orie; Greg Jewell; Don Schulz; Irwin Haydock; Dean Reinemann; Maryanne Skorpanich; Pat Brennan; Dave Montague; Terry E. Slake; Dave Wielenga; Ann Norris; Phyllis Grifman; Tony Jones; Karin Moran; David Webb REPORT OF THE CHAIR Chair Eckenrode welcomed the research team and peer review panel members and thanked them for their hard work. He acknowledged this meeting was very important for two reasons: (1) the long-awaited science regarding the district's ocean discharge would be presented by the researchers and independent peer review panel of experts, who have examined the data. These researchers and experts represent highly respected and well-known oceanographic institutions in the country; and (2) This meeting begins the dialogue that the Board of Directors must undertake regarding the critical policy decision of what level of wastewater treatment technology the District should implement in the future that will adequately protect public health and the environment. At this meeting, and the next special meeting to be held on June 191h, the Board of Directors will hear about: (1) The science, and the conclusion of last summer's ocean studies; (2) The technology, and what treatment process alternatives are available for the Directors' consideration; (3) The finances, the costs and user fee implications; (4) The regulations, and the federal and state rules that govern the District; and (5) The public, and what the District has heard from the public in the form of opinion polls, letters, e-mails and phone calls. Chair Eckenrode also announced that the regular meeting of May 22nd would be held at 6:30 p.m., go into closed session immediately then convene into regular session around 7:00 p.m. REPORT OF THE GENERAL MANAGER The General Manager had no report. REPORT OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL General Counsel, Thomas L. Woodruff, reported that a great deal of input is expected, both verbal and written, regarding the level of treatment of the District's ocean discharge. Notice has been given to all interested parties, and noted on the agenda that the public is urged to submit their remarks in writing. He also reported that a 30-minute period for public comments would be held at the end of this evening's presentation. Summer 2001 Huntington Beach Shoreline Contamination Technical Reports Bob Ghirelli, Director of Technical Services, stated that this meeting would inform the Board of Directors on the results of the offshore scientific studies that have been completed, what the Minutes for Board Meeting Page 4 05/15/02 researchers reviewed along the shoreline, and also begin a dialogue that will be continued over the coming months, eventually leading to a decision by the Directors on the appropriate level of treatment that the District will pursue. That decision will provide the direction staff will need to prepare the application for the District's application for an ocean discharge permit. Mr. Ghirelli stated the scientists who conducted the studies will be presenting the results of the investigation that was conducted last summer. The study was authorized by the Directors last year, and was designed to answer whether the District's treated wastewater discharge is a contributor to the bacteria contamination problem at Huntington Beach. The researchers are now ready to report to the Directors the preliminary results, findings, and conclusions of the studies. The Directors would also hear from other researchers whose work is more focused on land-based sources. The beach contamination problem at Huntington Beach is complex and made up of multiple sources that cumulatively contribute to the problem. In 1999 staff's initial focus was off-shore. After $2 million of studies, it was concluded that the problem didn't appear to be the plume. Staff then began looking on-shore and found that urban run-off appeared to be part of the problem. More research was undertaken to gain a better understanding of what was going on onshore, in the Talbert Marsh and in the Santa Ana River. A report was prepared by Professor Stanley Grant and his colleagues at UCI, which was published in November 2000. His report implicated some of those land-based sources and also suggested that the District's offshore discharge could be a contributor to the problem, as well. It was reported that in June the board will be informed on the technology, costs, and rates associated with various treatment alternatives and the public input. At the regular meeting of June 261h , the Board of Directors will be asked to make a decision weighing the science and other factors to make a decision about the appropriate level of treatment. Kelly Christiansen, Source Control Supervisor, then reviewed the findings that resulted from the District's onshore investigation. He reported that several sources of land-based contamination had been identified and corrected. Dr. Stanley Grant of UCI presented his preliminary results on his study of the Santa Ana River. The focus of this study was to quantify the flow of fecal indicator organisms, as well as other types of pollutants, from the Santa Ana River Watershed into the ocean. The study was also to determine if surf zone water quality impairment of Huntington Beach was caused by fecal pollution from onshore sources, such as urban run-off, etc., or caused by offshore sources such as the District's treated wastewater. He stated he found no evidence to suggest that the fecal indicator bacteria (FIBs) found at the mouth of the river are coming from off-shore sources, but were coming from local land-based sources. Dr. Grant also stated that the test results suggest that fecal indicator viruses (FIVs) found in the surf zone could be coming from an offshore source such as the outfall. Brett Sanders of UCI presented findings on a paper he co-authored entitled "Cross-Shelf Transport at Huntington Beach -Implications for the Fate of Sewage Discharged through an Offshore Ocean Outfall". He reported that the District's plume was observed shoreward of the outfall, but not reaching the shoreline. He also reported there was no evidence of the District's plume contributing to the poor water quality of Huntington Beach. Minutes for Board Meeting Page 5 05/15/02 Marlene Noble of the US Geological Survey, then reported on the Offshore Investigation. The official report will not be final until October. To date, she reported that the study has not found a connection between the District's ocean discharge and the bacterial contamination on the beaches. Cynthia Cudaback of UC Santa Barbara then reviewed the preliminary findings of the Peer Review Panel. The purpose of the panel was to determine whether data collection and analysis of collected data were appropriate to answer questions concerning the transport of the District's plume onshore and whether it could account for bacterial contamination on the beach. She reported that a connection could not be found between the District's plume and beach contamination events. She also suggested further analyses are needed. The final report would be completed in October. Directors then entered into discussion and asked questions of the panel. PUBLIC COMMENTS The following persons expressed their opposition to the waiver: Jan Vandersloot; Robert Beardsley; Randy Fuhrman; Eileen Murphy; Dennis Baker; Larry Porter; Don May; Irwin Haydock; Don McGee; Peer Swan; Doug Korthoff; Joan Irvine Smith . ADJOURNMENT: The Chair declared the meeting adjourned at 9 :46 p.m. G:\wp .dta\agenda\Board Minutes\2002 Board Minutes\042402 minutes .doc