Anonymous
By Stephen Meade
The rains of January left our county with a large load for our public works crews. The challenge of clearing our debris basins demands immediate attention.
The trucks and dumping that now are ubiquitous on Goleta Beach and Carpinteria’s Ash Beach isn’t pretty and it’s planned for another 2 weeks in Carpinteria and till the end of March in Goleta.
Carpinteria resident Michelle Carlen has started an online petition in an effort to stop the beach dumps and has garnered over 500 signatures. The petition is demanding County Supervisors to come up with a different solution to dump debris basin material elsewhere.
However, the two areas most affected are the simplest logistically and it is difficult to find an alternate solution to clearing debris basins efficiently. County government has seen this scenario before and has considered other options but chose to stay with the simplest plan.
We are fortunate to have a Non Governmental Organization locally that is on the job keeping our local officials accountable and offer alternatives to methods when needed. Heal the Ocean was created when the storms of the late 90’s put a strain on our coastline and answers weren’t easily available. Executive Director Hillary Hauser’s latest book Dancing on Waves gives a detailed accounting of how the organization was founded and the amazing things that Heal the Ocean has done over the last 25 years.
I spoke with Harry Rabin, Program Director at Heal the Ocean, and he discussed the impacts the latest storm and debris clearing are having on our coastline.
Harry, what is going on and is this dumping safe?
Heal the Ocean consulted with Dr.Robin Knox of Reef Guardians to test the soil from the debris basins being trucked to Carpinteria and Goleta. Dr. Knox along with Earthjustice, was responsible for getting the Clean Water Act enforced on Maui as a similar situation was taking place with sediment/soil being eroded and dumped in the ocean on a large scale by developers. So with a similar situation here in Santa Barbara Dr. Knox was our go to expert.
Heal the Ocean shared all information from the County with Dr. Knox as soon as we found out the dumping of sediment would be authorized. I can honestly say that the County officials were completely transparent with sharing the information, the data and also permitting us to visit the dumping sites. Complete test results were provided and Dr. Knox’s main issues were with the timing of the test material presented from the county, soil samples need to be quickly tested to maintain accuracy.
We are awaiting results of a second test. The grain size of the sediment is in line with what we were expecting. No urban material is included in the sediment being trucked to the beach. The county isn’t scraping sidewalks or streets, it’s strictly the debris basins.
Can all this material being dumped at once be good for the shoreline?
We don’t know as to the scale what impact the dumping will have on the near shore marine life, it could very well smother and crush organisms living on the seafloor and may cause changes to habitats and biological communities. We will have to monitor for the next several months to have an answer to the long term effects.
What is the official response from the County to your questions regarding test sample timing, storage etc?
Andrew Raff, Flood Control Environmental Manager at the County of Santa Barbara, responded to me with the following.
Hi Harry, I’ve spoken with our Project Cleanwater program staff to address your questions.
In general anytime there is soil contact with water, enterocuccus and coliform bacteria will be detected. It is the ratio of fecal to total coliform that indicates a potential concern. The Water Board acknowledges indicator bacteria exceeding standards doesn’t necessarily result in an increase in human illness, but screening for the indicator bacteria is the best approach we have currently. Once technology advances and costs decrease, we can expect to see the State requiring DNA analysis to determine the source of the bacteria, but we aren’t there yet. That will require a revamp of AB411 by the legislature.
What is the right answer here?
I don’t think there is a 100% right answer here. We need to continue to find alternatives for this material and keep it out of the ocean. The manner of disposing of sediment is one of budget constraints, so maybe the best thing we can do right now is to have FEMA grants in place that can pay for these materials to be taken to inland areas that can benefit from good landfill.
People actually pay for dirt so I would suggest the County looks into storing these materials and selling them as needed. That could indeed make it affordable and beneficial at the same time. For now we have to acknowledge that the debris basins are a necessity for safety and preventing loss of lives as we saw in the debris flow.
Flood and debris are no longer the 100 to 1000 year events we once thought they were. Studies have shown we can have many more of these events in a 100 year cycle, possibly 5, 10, 15 or more. Climate change means we need to change the way we think about these events and remain vigilant.
Going forward, what does Heal the Ocean recommend for basin clearing?
It’s going to come down to what the county can afford and there just aren’t a lot of affordable places to dump the sediment. We will continue to look at solutions and make sure that what the county is doing now at Goleta and Carpinteria beaches is as good as it can be.
You can reach Heal the Ocean at Healtheocean.org
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Key is this is not sand being dumped (what might be actually helpful at Goleta), but from debris basins far away. Dirt, rocks, and who knows what else do NOT belong on the beach in this quantity.
“Just shut up and take it, Sac and anyone else who doesn’t like seeing their favorite beach smothered.”
“People actually pay for dirt so I would suggest the County looks into storing these materials and selling them as needed.” – So why are we dumping it into the ocean? Is there really no inland areas in our County that we could dump this stuff that would be less harmful to the ecosystem? They’re undoubtedly killing millions of sea creatures by dumping rocks and dirt on their homes, so why not dump inland/onshore where there is no significant and delicate ecosystem? How do we not have somewhere on land to take this material?
Thank you, yes why is the beach the only option? Are some decision makers in Carpinteria walking away with fuller pockets now? Is that what this is about? The beach should be the LAST resort option, how is there nowhere else?
Ah the hypocrisy.
It’s only all green & climate change until there’s money & properties involved.
Nature didn’t dump all that debris in Goleta & Carpinteria.
But it’s inconvenient to the people who promote green government & actions.
SBLETS makes ABSOLUTE sense. Look around at the wealthy players around Montecito and it’s political extension -LA/Hollywood. Very blue and staunch democratic, buying up coastal Ca, and claiming the high ground on everything green and environmentally correct. But wait! If it’s in my estate, get it outta here at all carbon costs. See Sac?
Exactly. You’ve hit the nail on the head.
Dear Stephen Meade: “In general anytime there is soil contact with water, enterocuccus and . . .” The word is spelled “enterococcus.” And Hilary? Heal the Ocean sure isn’t protecting our beaches and oceans by allowing this unquantifiably harmful dumping of debris on our beaches. What about pesticides and fertilizers found in the dirt? And are the dump trucks magically hovering over the sand or are they continually crushing and obliterating sensitive microorganisms? What a debacle.
The County has not been transparent about Beach dumping. First it was, “We need to replace the sand that washed away in the storm.” Yet weeks later, the story morphed into, “We don’t have anywhere else to dump it.”
Ironic and sad that in a County as large as Santa Barbara, “Heal the Ocean” thinks the Ocean is the only available dump site.
Read between the lines. They don’t know what is going to happen here. Heal the Ocean is not healing anything even remotely agreeing with what is going on. We need studies. Our beaches are being fouled with pregoius
Heal the Ocean- I’m glad for what good you’ve done in the past but what a disappointing response. As someone else commented, you’re dragging your feet now because money is involved here and more politics than anyone cares to admit and less care about the health of this ocean and beach. With time you can discuss the impact of the dumping of this debris on our beach? It’s already too late. It will take thousands of years for those rocks to be smoothed out like beach rocks the beach is now hazardous to walk on barefoot, one of the simple joys of enjoying the beach now ruined, and swimming at Ash has never been the same since the last dumping- forget now, say goodbye to world’s safest beach. Not to mention all the sea life being killed and harmed as someone else said, or the fact that the soil is full of pesticides and fertilizers and other harmful chemicals. None of this belongs on the beach.
What I am trying to say is that our beaches are being fouled with to large an aggregate which would not normally ever get on our beaches. Down coast of Goleta is filling up with cobble and normal sand flow is being interrupted. The silt in these dump loads would never jus set on the beach and be caught up in the littoral flow. In big flood events silt is carried way farther and distributed off beach with the flood water.
So much animosity towards those who are upset by this. Why?
Because they aren’t from Goleta or Carp!
Here is something that needs to be included in the conversation, the effects of diesel emissions. All the transportation of mud from Montecito to Goleta Beach and Carp. is done by big trucks running on diesel. Often trucks line up and idle at the beach, one after the other. They a big bulldozer operates constantly at the beach pushing the mud into the ocean. Diesel fumes are proven to be harmful to humans and the environment. Also, all those trucks carrying the mud are uncovered, spewing mud particulates into the air all along the route. If mud mist be pushed into the ocean, it should be transported the shortest distances possible, and not export diesel emissions and dust pollution far and wide to other places.
The sadest part is they are killing all the shellfish that live under the sand and just above the sand. I walked along the mud the other day to check on the beautiful turban snails, clams and the rest I usually see and they were suffocated by the mud and I couldn’t find them. This is so sad they are killing off living things just to unload there dirty mud. I enjoyed walking to see the beautiful sealife in their habitat, but no more since it’s being ruined and they are being smashed, destroyed and killed :(. Stop the dumping your killing our shellfish and destroying our beaches and water!
Yes, and the map was shown here and several other places.
OCEAN AND SUN – yes, of course they are. Problem is, like MONTECITO MATT pointed out earlier, we should just be lucky and grateful that our friends and families didn’t have their homes flooded or destroyed and just accept the dirt without complaint. The condescension and anger at those who protest this decision is unbelievable. One excuse after another – it’s natural, it’s nourishment, it’s the only place we can dump it, just be thankful people in SB and Montecito didn’t lose their homes, so on and so on.
Now, this question is going to get me all sorts of insults, but…. why did we have to move it at all? Since when does nature move rocks and dirt miles away? Yes, I’ll admit ignorance on this, but why not leave it in the debris basins? Let nature do it’s thing.
BLAZER – ok, that’s kind of what I was thinking. So, if we need to frequently clear out these basins, shouldn’t we have a better and more sustainable plan? Honestly asking here. Putting foreign and non-naturally occurring debris and dirt (as opposed to dredged sand from the SB Harbor) just can’t be good for the beaches in Goleta and Carp. Smothering sea life can’t be the answer. Where did we put debris from the basins in the past?
Is there a map somewhere showing where the basins are?
Heal the Ocean is helping. On site inspections. Paying for secondary testing that the county can’t afford. Offering a solution by turning the dirt into cash by selling it to landscapers etc. Who paid for the oil testing on Sumerland’s recent beach event? Who pays to get the boats off the beaches that break loose from east beach? $30,000 for each boat. Who brought DNA water testing to SB County? Who got Rincon, Sandpoint and Sandyland Cove off of septic and onto the Carp sewer system?I could go on, read Hillary Hauser’s book Dancing on Waves and you may appreciate the efforts of Heal The Ocean. We’re lucky to have them.