Los Angeles to Pay $2 Billion Over Sewage Spills

Reuters) ^ | Fri Aug 6, 4:10 PM ET | Reuters)

[BenLurkin]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The city of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $2 billion to settle a complaint by a local environmental group over thousands of sewage spills in recent years, the U.S. Justice Department (news - web sites) and federal environmental regulators said on Friday.

The settlement also requires the city to rebuild and repair thousands of miles of sewer lines, increase the system's capacity and plan for future expansion, according to the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites).

The complaint was made by Santa Monica Baykeeper, an environmental group that monitors water quality in the Santa Monica and San Pedro Bays of Southern California.

Los Angeles must also pay $1.6 million to the U.S. Treasury and a regional water quality control board to settle civil penalty claims, the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency said.

The regional board will direct its portion of the funds, or $800,000, to local environmental improvement projects that the city will fund, federal officials said.

Los Angeles operates one of the largest sewage collection systems in the country with 6,500 miles of sewer lines. Since 1994, the city has experienced more than 4,500 spills, according to federal officials.

A spokeswoman for Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn said the city will not sell bonds to pay for sewer upgrade projects. All funds will come from increased sewer rates.

Santa Monica Baykeeper executive director Tracy Egoscue called the settlement "an historic victory." She said her organization was "behind the city in this new commitment to the environment."

[BenLurkin]

Small wonder the economy in California can't get any traction.

[Carry_Okie]

Santa Monica Baykeeper executive director Tracy Egoscue called the settlement "an historic victory." She said her organization was "behind the city in this new commitment to the environment."

One wonders if any construction and engineering firms had a hand in financing Monica's little group.

[hedgetrimmer]

Two billion tax dollars given to an environmental group so they can decide what projects to fund? This state is so rapidly become an East Germany when it was a satellite of the Soviet Union, you can't even joke about it. Everywhere in the state, environmental councils and unconstitutional fake regional governments are thieving tax dollars so the most basic infrastructure needs of the state cannot be met.

We have thousands of miles of freeways and roads in this state, breaking apart with weeds and grass growing up in the cracks. We have had energy project after energy project killed by these groups. We have had water projects killed and dams blown up to suit these groups.

We, the common taxpaying citizens, no longer have the republican(as in republic) government that the Constitution guarantees us. This is how they are taking our country away from us. And not one shot fired, I might add.

[BenLurkin]

$2 Billion is a LOT of money.

This is nuts!

[BenLurkin]

"All funds will come from increased sewer rates."

[Southack]

In the 1960's, many people claimed that environmental groups were infiltrating legal departments and having their insiders *deliberately* losing cases in order to get those court settlements to fund those enviro-groups.

Imagine an ALF sympathizer obtaining a state attorney job for California...then deliberately losing a case by ALF against California.

It would make for a great movie, if only Hollywood wasn't so liberal as to reject publishing such a concept.

5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires

[lowbridge]

A spokeswoman for Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn said the city will not sell bonds to pay for sewer upgrade projects. All funds will come from increased sewer rates.

Gee, I hope the enviromental group would donate some of that 2 billion dollars to a worthy enviromental project like this one. But that's just me.

[calcowgirl]

>>One wonders if any construction and engineering firms had a hand in financing Monica's little group.

SM Baykeeper is connected with RFKjr's Water Keeper Alliance.
It was founded by Terry Tamminem (out new State EPA chief) about 5 years ago,
along with programs in San Diego, Orange County, Ventura, etc.

But... I think you knew that, huh? lol

[Lunatic Fringe]

That's $2 billion for schools that L.A. desperately needs.

[BurbankKarl]

can we charge the Mejis?

[Carry_Okie]

But... I think you knew that, huh? lol

Actually, I didn't know, but I'm not at all surprised.

[television is just wrong]

We need to stop importing more people into this area. We couldn't handle the population in the 70's. How in the heck are we handling this now?

[television is just wrong]

How about the money coming out of the politicians pockets. Their open border policies have lead to increase in population making this pollution problem what it is.

A BIG MESS.

[television is just wrong]

Let Mr. Hahn pay for it.

Better yet, Let Mr. Fox pay for it.

Mr. Hahn keeps calling Los Angeles, "a Mexican City".

[The Duke]

you gotta wonder if a judge can keep a straight face and say "Pay them a billion dollars" at the same time(?)

[sergeantdave]

I'm curious as to how much this new sewer tax will affect business. Will this be the proverbial straw to break the camel's back?

A recent survey showed that California had the worst business climate in the nation. This can't be good for business.