L.A. County discharged polluted water into Malibu beach, court finds
Robert J. Lopez
Los Angeles Times
04/27/2010
The County of Los Angeles violated the federal Clean Water Act when it discharged polluted water at popular Surfrider Beach in Malibu, according to a court ruling issued Tuesday. Surfrider Beach
The District Court in Los Angeles also found the county liable for discharging polluted water into a marine coastal preserve on the northern edge of the county, one of three dozen designated areas of special biological significance along the California coast.
The decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the National Resource Defense Council and Santa Monica Baykeeper.
The two groups hailed the decision as a significant step in the battle to protect the fragile marine ecosystem in northern Los Angeles County.
“This decision will go a long way to protect the health of some of the most sensitive coastal waters and at one of our most popular beaches,” Tatiana Gaur, staff attorney for Santa Monica Baykeeper, said in statement.
