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By
Craig Tenbroeck
North County Times
February 5, 2008
VISTA
-- City officials in Vista and Carlsbad have hammered out a
tentative deal with water quality regulators that could lessen
the penalty for the 7.3 million gallon sewage spill last
spring that fouled Buena Vista lagoon.
Under the proposed settlement, released Monday for public
review, the cities would pay $200,000 to the state Water
Resources Control board and $500,000 to wildlife agencies for
local environmental improvements.
Last
year, water quality regulators proposed a $1.1 million fine,
but the settlement slashes $395,000 of that liability on the
condition that the cities upgrade the sewer main that suffered
the leak.
"I think there are some win-wins here," Vista's
Engineering Director Larry Pierce said.
Vista is already working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and the California Department of Fish and Game on a
spending plan for the $500,000, Pierce said. Any improvement
projects would probably involve the lagoon, Pierce said.
The settlement follows months of negotiations between staff
members at the various agencies. However, it is subject to the
regional water board's approval on March 12.
The threat of a massive fine has been hanging over Vista's
head since the sewer main broke in late March and early April,
causing one of the largest sewage spills in county history.
Analysts determined that the break was caused by corrosive
soil eating through the jointly owned sewer main, which slices
through Carlsbad to a regional treatment plant on the coast.
The spill was blamed for the death of about 1,700 fish in the
freshwater lagoon.
For a spill of that size, the law allows a maximum fine of $73
million.
Vista has already shelled out more than $575,000 for clean up
and repair, Pierce said. Because the city has a 90 percent
ownership stake in the pipe -- Carlsbad owns the rest -- it
will have to pay the bulk of any penalty.
Vista's sewer fund is already stretched thin. Last month, the
City Council approved five years of sewer rate increases to
pay for improvements to the aging sewer system.
"If we have more sewage spills, they're not going to be
nice to us here in Vista, and our fines are going to be very
high," Councilwoman Judy Ritter told a roomful of angry
residents during the rate-hike discussion.
Even if the water board approves the settlement, Vista isn't
completely out of the water. Days after the Buena Vista sewage
spill, Vista suffered a separate, 400,000 gallon spill near
Melrose Drive.
The regional water board has not determined if a fine will be
levied for that incident, Becker said.
Public comments on the proposed settlement should be sent to EBecker@waterboards.ca.gov.
-- Contact staff writer Craig TenBroeck at (760) 901-4062 or ctenbroeck@nctimes.com
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