Current news
March 2011
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Jerry Brown’s New Team & Water-Energy Integrated Policy?
Friday, March 4th was a busy day for R4 -
Starting at the Water Advisory Council of Orange County (WACO) at 7:30am, then moving to either the UCI event or the Green Vision event, we heard details of Gov. Brown’s team and budget-policy issues confounding lobbyists on almost all sides of the Water and Energy Integrated Management battlefield.
The semantics of whether California has enough water and energy, OR enough smart ways to manage water and energy conflicting values with leadership will continue: it is our intent to frame the semantics so that the larger picture is clear and a sustainable path can be negotiated.
It is especially encouraging to see new initatives to integrate both water planning and energy planning within Brown’s new team: a Sustainable Growth Council.
Desalination decisions, of course, bridge Water and Energy topics in terms of Economics, Ecology, and Equity.
Dave Rosenfield’s post yesterday about Desal: Boondoggle or Panacea provides a useful summary of issues. Click here to see more.
======================/
Poseidon Desalination Loses Permit Decision
Today, Wednesday, November 17th, the California Coastal Commission overrode a permit issued by the City of Huntington Beach for the proposed Poseidon Resources desalination facility and will be scheduling a hearing
to review and likely amend the permit.
The Commission found that appeals of the City’s issuance of a Coastal Development Permit raised
substantial issues about whether the City enforced their own regulations on development in the coastal zone.
Click here to read the entire Press Release R4RD_PRESS_REL_11_17_10
Four HB City Council seats are to be decided by voters in November.
Please review: HB_Candidate_Response_Summary
ALSO, Please attend the Candidate Forum League of Women Voters,
Thursday, October 7 @ 7:00 PM,
Huntington Beach Library 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach. No Charge, See http://ocilo.ca.lwvnet.org/calendar.html for more details
From the President – September, 2010 Newsletter
The coming months will be busy and vital to all of us who advocate for coastal
protection. The HB City Council elections are just around the corner. November only
seems to be far away. It will be upon us before we know it. We must prepare to make
the right choices. If we do, we’ll indeed choose four people who share our vision of
local coastal protection. This will be one of the few elections where we can absolutely
make a difference in the direction of Huntington Beach. Electing one or two will not do
it. We need all 4—for the future! Review the candidates and their backgrounds; know
who is supporting them; and, understand their ideas and stands on issues. Walk away
from those who either do not respond at all or say they cannot discuss the issues.
The Poseidon Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) is literally being
forced through the HB Planning Department by Poseidon to assure the current voting
majority on the City Council approves it. The applicant, Poseidon Resources, would
like its SEIR presented on September 7—incomplete or not! R4RD members,
Surfrider Foundation, O.C. Coastkeeper, and the general public submitted over 40
documents for Public Comment on this fiasco. The City refused to grant us a 30-day
extension to review and comment on over 1,000 pages of technical information—
incomplete information at that. One whole section on Ocean Water Quality and Marine
Biological Resources was missing!
The California Coastal Commission staff sent a scathing, 15-page response to the City
after only doing what the CCC staff called “an incomplete review of the SEIR.” Most
notable in their comments, the Coastal Commission recommends a “more
comprehensive and balanced review of the proposed project.” The CCC staff faulted
the Planning Dept. for not presenting an “independent, arms-length review of the
project impacts, alternatives to desalination, and leaving out relevant information and
credible studies that would raise concerns.” They accused the City of citing references
and studies that selectively supports the project rather than doing an independent
review. CCC staff also chided the HB Planning staff for not doing more of it’s own
work rather than relying on the services of a consultant.
Please read why this project should be opposed and why we should support smart water solutions. Please click here to read more.
Read the SEIR at the City Website - Click here
=====/
According to Tom at Water Desalination Report, Auaguest 23, 2010:
Last week, Tetra Tech filed a $3.29 million lawsuit against
Poseidon Resources after failing to resolve a dispute over
non-payment of services through mediation.
According to the lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of California,
Poseidon had contracted Tetra Tech to provide professional
design and bid services in connection with construction of
the Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Project. Despite Tetra
Tech’s demands, Poseidon has failed to pay the total amount
due.
Although Tetra Tech no longer remains a part of the EPC
team on the Carlsbad project the lawsuit has apparently not
completely destroyed the firm’s relationship with Poseidon,
because it is believed to be a member of one of the teams
that is now trying to secure a role in the construction of the
Carlsbad plant and it continues to work with Poseidon on the
Huntington Beach project.
San Diego County Water Authority – at an emergency session last Thursday heard Poseidon say:
Representatives from Poseidon, the company planning to build the plant, said the project was “not financeable” at the moment, because there wasn’t enough money in the deal to pay off debts and to attract investors. The deal already includes a subsidy from Metropolitan worth $250 per acre-foot of water for 25 years. There are also certain triggers that allow Metropolitan to withdraw from giving the subsidy by a vote of its board.
.Sara said on: June 11, 2010, 12:32 pm
This is hands-down the most balanced North County Times article I’ve read that had any relationship to the Poseidon desal plant.”Representatives from Poseidon, the company planning to build the plant, said the project was “not financeable” at the moment, because there wasn’t enough money in the deal to pay off debts and to attract investors. The deal already includes a subsidy from Metropolitan worth $250 per acre-foot of water for 25 years…Poseidon representatives at the meeting asked the Water Authority to guarantee Metropolitan’s subsidy with its own funds.”Poseidon pretty much has $450 per acre-foot of free money subsidies in the bag, plus approved bond funding. When will the public realize that desalination is the most expensive source of new water? The technology is improving to make it more affordable, which in its haste Poseidon won’t implement, because further delays may mean the public water agencies might put the funds toward their own desal projects.Don’t be so desperate for water (meaning, green lawns, because we can easily conserve 50 MGD) that we saddle taxpayers with 30 to 40 years of immense expense when new desal technology will be so much more affordable in the next few years.
=================================//==========================
The Surfrider Foundation has a vision for water – and they want to share it with you.
click here to see this fantastic video:
NOTE: It might take a few moments for the video to appear…it is worth the wait!
Understanding our vision is important to Surfrider.
View: The Real Story of Water, the basis for our Know Your H2O Program.
For more information, KYh2o film invitation 2
March 26th, 2010
Carlsbad desalination plant moves closer to final approval, reports SDD
A controversial proposal to operate a seawater desalination plant in North County that’s already under construction moved a step closer to final approval Friday, when a state water agency rejected appeals from two environmental groups for the third time.
The State Water Resources Control Board dismissed appeals from the Surfrider Foundation and San Diego Coastkeeper to deny a permit for the Poseidon Resources desalination plant under construction in Carlsbad.
Legislative Analyst’s Office reports on legislation needed to improve water management.
Liquid Assets: Improving Management of the State’s Groundwater Resources
California’s water system is facing a series of challenges affecting water availability, reliability, and delivery. Reevaluating how groundwater is managed is necessary if it is to achieve its full potential as a reliable source of water. In this report, we present the Legislature with a series of actions that would be phased in over a period of time to address current and emerging groundwater management issues, including bringing science and law together to accurately reflect the physical interconnection of surface water and groundwater. (24 pp.)
Click here for full report
Liquid Assets: Improving Water Management
===============================/
San Juan Producing Excess Fresh Water
By Peter Schelden, OC Register, Friday, January 22, 2010
The groundwater-recovery plant the city owns and runs
has been producing more fresh water than San Juan Capistrano
can use since Christmas, City Manager Joe Tait said.
The plant now produces 2.2 million to 4.3 million gallons per
day, leaving an average surplus of 1 million gallons, Assistant Utilities
Director William Curry said. For more information click here.
“Water Bond Proposal Enables Water Privatization” By Robert Cruickshank
reported in California Progress Report Jan. 3, 2010
“Private companies could own, operate and profit from reservoirs and other water-storage projects built with billions in taxpayer dollars under a little-noticed provision of the $11.1 billion water bond that was approved by the Legislature and goes before California voters next year. ”
For more information, click here
California Desalination Report With More Than a Grainof Subjectivity Part 2 from Natural Nutrition Works Dec. 22, 2009Has discussion of costs of water from usual sources and desal
Desal and “Carbon” ated Water: Coastal Commission Should Make the Carlsbad Project Offset ALL Carbon Impacts, Jonas Minton 1-11-2010
An excellent review of highly questionable assumptions made by Poseidon and relevant to the Feb. 2010 Revocation Hearings in Carlsbad. For more information click here.
Poseidon’s Financial Shell Game:
Desalination is Here!
“It is clear that desalination has come a long way – and just in time, in order to address the “triple threat” of population growth, crumbling water utility infrastructure, and climate change.” This article from EcoWorld raises some wacko ideas about Desalination that demands to be refuted.
For more info see: http://www.ecoworld.com/waters/desalination-is-here.html
Desalination Technology - — A nanotube membrane on a silicon chip the size of a quarter may offer a cheaper way to remove salt from water. This can change the business model of many Reverse Osmosis products and projects.
Nov. 16, 2009 “LLNL Licenses Carbon Nanotube Technology Used For Desalination To Local Company”Carbon nanotubes — special molecules made of carbon atoms in a unique arrangement -allow liquids and gases to rapidly flow through, while the tiny pore size can block larger molecules, offering a cheaper way to remove salt from water. Federal funds (Dept of Energy and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency invested ~$4.3 million to advance Porifer, Inc.’s technology commercialization.
For more information click here
Tampa Bay Desalination Debacle – Update
Desalination Creates More Problems than Solutions in Tampa
By Jorge Aguilar, Food & Water Watch. Posted July 27, 2009. From Alternet ,
When it Comes to Water, Can Corporations and Community Really Coexist? By Peter Asmus, AlterNet. Posted August 19, 2009.
“The latest fight between activists and companies such as Coke and Nestle is about who really “owns water” — corporations or communities.” This in depth article examines how the battle of “bottled water” has escalated recently, and describes the role that community activisits can and should play in these critical decisions. For more information click here
Greenswashing Litmus Tests Know how to tell the differences between a Green product or company and a Greenwashing product or company? Check out Larry’s contribution
Seven Sins of Greenwashing – the Game