March 25, 2023 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Santa Monica Remains On “Beach Bummer List”:

It may be one of the most crowded places to swim in the summer, but Santa Monica has again ranked poorly in an annual report that grades beaches along the Californian coastline.

Despite the City of Santa Monica proactively trying to improve water quality underneath and surrounding Santa Monica Pier, Heal the Bay said Wednesday that the popular tourist destination still has plenty of work to do.

The assessment was part of Heal the Bay’s 25th annual Beach Report Card, which ranked beach at Santa Monica Pier as the sixth worst beach in California – last year it was ranked eighth.

“Santa Monica Pier has experienced consistent water problems,” said Sarah Sikich, vice president of Heal the Bay. “The city of Santa Monica has proactively tried to address these issues, with installation of bird netting, pollution reduction measures, and by checking the various pipes from the commercial facilities on the pier. However, beach water quality continues to suffer.”

However, it wasn’t all bad news along the California coastline – Heal the Bay attributing the historic drought to improving water quality.

The environmental group said record low rainfall reduced the amount of polluted runoff funneled in the ocean.

As part of the annual Beach Report Card, analysts assigned A-to-F letter grades to 92 beaches in L.A. County for three reporting periods in the 2014-2015 report, based on levels of weekly bacterial pollution. Some 94 percent of beaches received A or B grades for the high-traffic summer period (April-October 2014), a 4 percent improvement from last year’s grades. The 94 percent figure also marks a 10 percent gain from the county’s summer average for the previous five years.

As for the 10 most polluted beaches in California – or “Beach Bummer List” as Heal the Bay put it much like a David Letterman top 10 list – Sikich said three L.A. County beaches on the list are repeat offenders.

These were Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey (number two), Santa Monica Pier (number six), and Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro (number nine).

Several beaches along the Southern California coast have had some problems with oil washing up on the shore recently.

“It would not be surprising that it is, but the finger printing analyses take weeks because they have to do a detailed chemical test,” Sikich said. “We’re still waiting on the results. There are people who think it might be natural seeps, but I would be very surprised if it is due to the volume and persistence of the oil.”

Oil has to be cleaned up by hand, so dealing with the runoff from the Refugio spill requires trained individuals to walk along the beach and clean up the mess.

Authorities are being contacted by Heal the Bay to either send more trained haz-mat technicians or train more volunteers, which will hopefully be able to take some of the above beaches off of the “bummer” list in the future.

However, oil is not the only problem. Walking along the beach, several pieces of litter were found, from cigarette butts to an empty bag of chips. Santa Monica’s waters may be polluted, but the average person can help just as much by picking up their trash as well.

While the ongoing drought has played a significant role in improved grades, storm-drain diversions and other enhanced infrastructure also have paid dividends at chronically troubled beaches.

Popular but historically failing beaches at Avalon Harbor in Catalina and Doheny Beach in Orange County, for example, now regularly receive A or B grades because of multi-million dollar investment in pollution-abatement measures.

While the news is encouraging, Los Angeles County still leads the state in the number of beaches with poor water quality. Overall, one in 13 L.A. County beaches received grades of C or lower during the busy summer season. The news is worse during wet weather, when nearly half of the beaches received an F grade. The growing public health risk is troubling for the region’s sizeable number of year-round surfers, divers and other ocean-users.

To protect beachgoers from illness, Heal the Bay urges ocean lovers to check updated water quality grades for nearly 600 beaches each week at www.healthebay.org/beachreportcard.

in News
Related Posts

Santa Monica Pet Hotel Hosts Puppy-Friendly St. Patty’s Day Party

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

A new pet hotel in Santa Monica recently hosted a St. Patrick’s Day party for local dogs. Check out all...

Santa Monica Mountains Largest Ever Restoration Project Nears Completion After 7,000 Hours of Volunteer Work

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

Final planting event will be held Saturday, March 25 at 9 a.m. for the park’s largest ever restoration project After...

California Appeals Court Rules Uber and Lyft Can Classify Drivers as Independent Contractors

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

Proposition 22 exempted ride-share companies from certain labor laws, court rules in favor of the companies By Sam Catanzaro ​​A...

Film Review – Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

March 24, 2023

March 24, 2023

FILM REVIEWOPERATION FORTUNE: Ruse de GuerreRated R114 MinutesReleased March 3rd Now that the season of weighty Oscar contender films is...

Santa Monica Uses Innovative Water Recycling Facility to Capture and Store Rainwater

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

City’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Project reducing reliance on imported water and sets a model for future projects Santa Monica has...

Shuttered Santa Monica Loews Hotel to Rebrand and Reopen as a Regent Hotel

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Hotel’s new operator announces plans for $4 million renovation, including rebranding and upgrading accessibility for guests with disabilities By Dolores...

Three Arrested for Identity Theft, Possession of Stolen Property, and Grand Theft in Santa Monica

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Suspects found with over 20 stolen cellphones, credit cards, and identification Three individuals were arrested in Santa Monica for identity...

Proposal for Improved Communication With Street Vendors Sparks Contentious Debate in City Council Meeting

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Councilmembers divided over proposal calling for City Manager to engage in meaningful consultation with authorized vendors regarding sidewalk vending policies...

Former Bank Building in Santa Monica Becomes a Food Destination with Addition of Katsu Bar

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Katsu Bar joins Paderia and Oakberry in the transformation of the 3032 Wilshire building By Dolores Quintana Katsu Bar has...

Survey: Should Officials Remove Barriers to Outdoor Dining?

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the way we live our lives, and one of the most significant impacts has been...

Gasolina Cafe Owner, Sandra Cordero, to Open New Tapas Bar in Santa Monica

March 23, 2023

March 23, 2023

Tapas bar expected to open late spring in former Heroic Italian space at 516 Santa Monica Boulevard  Sandra Cordero, the...

California’s AB 1217 Could Supersede Costly Outdoor Dining Permits Proposed by Municipalities

March 22, 2023

March 22, 2023

Legislation would preempt local ordinances and preserve regulatory flexibility for struggling neighborhood restaurants By Sam Catanzaro A new bill proposed...

Emerging Artist Jesse Liu Opens First-Ever Exhibition in Venice Gallery

March 22, 2023

March 22, 2023

“Spring Fever” currently on display at Yiwei Gallery By Keemia Zhang Local artist Jesse Liu has opened her first solo...

Santa Monica Place Invites LGBTQIA+ Artisans to Apply for Made With PRIDE Marketplace

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Partnering with Streetlet, the marketplace will take place each weekend in June and showcase local goods made in Southern California....

Santa Monica Councilmember Phil Brock Appointed to National League of Cities Council on Youth, Education, and Families

March 21, 2023

March 21, 2023

Brock to collaborate with group of local leaders to develop and guide programs for communities across the country Santa Monica...