Common Sense University

We have commented in the past on the workings of the California Coastal Commission and its staff by specifically focusing on their conduct and performance in dealing with an application for an ocean water Desalination plant proposed in the City of Carlsbad in California. On November 15th the so called ‘Make-it-or-break-it’ meeting took place in San Diego and after a nine hour long hearing, the Commission voted 9 to 3 to conditionally approve the plant before nearly 300 people, among them such dignitaries as San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, State Senator Christine Kehoe of San Diego and Carlsbad Mayor Bud Lewis. They all pleaded with the Commission members to approve the plant due to the fact that the San Diego region is considered a drought area. This plant would satisfy about 7 percent of San Diego County’s water supply and is badly needed. Apparently, nine Commissioners saw the reality of the situation and voted in favor (against staff recommendations).

As a first reaction, it sounds good. But the Commission listed twenty (20) conditions that have to be met before a final approval can be given. The primary hurdles for final approval are for the developer of the plant, Poseidon Resources, to – and we quote – devise a plan to compensate for the death of marine organisms drawn into the plant and to provide wetland habitat restoration work at the nearby Agua Hedionda Lagoon. Commission Executive Director Peter Douglas stated “ the commission needs an accurate accounting of all the species the desalination process would kill and then develop a plan to compensate for such losses”. We are talking about fish eggs, larvae and plankton. San Diego Union Tribune columnist Logan Jenkins wrote an article entitled “Plant approval was pure water torture.”

This process can take several months and of course delay the schedule for building the plant. In addition, the Commission advised that additional review delays might occur due to some expected reductions in staff positions coupled with the heavy workload of the Commission. In other words: “Do not expect any final approval any time soon! It is not our problem that you people in San Diego County do not have adequate water supplies, try to conserve!” 

We need to say that the vast majority of these commissioners have strong environmental protection backgrounds by being longtime members of the Sierra Club and other such organizations that do not care one bit about people. In fact, they look at us average citizens as ‘enemies’ of the environment for which it is their job to protect, the environment, regardless as to cost or consequence to the people of California.

This arrogant display of raw power by a Commission, consisting in the majority of non-elected officials, should be truly addressed by the people of California. It is one thing to have an approval process for projects at or near the coast that will consider reasonable solutions, but to have such power to make literally ‘lifestyle altering’ decisions by denying badly needed resources, water in this case, is and should be absolutely unacceptable by the people! There are over 35 million people living in California at this time and the numbers are growing (as they have been for a very long period of time). And to decide on such issues of importance as providing water to the population from available sources (such as the Pacific ocean) should be beyond the Commissions responsibility, especially when they are more concerned over the killing of some small amount of fish eggs and larvae than filling the needs of the population. Would they prefer we all leave California so that some fish eggs do not get killed off? Why should a group of people living in the Northern California region (where it rains quite frequently) be made judges over what we need in Southern California where there are yearly droughts and where water has to be bought and brought over from the Colorado River or delivered by way of aqueducts down from Northern California? 

We here at ‘Back to Common Sense’ think that California has a major problem when a non-elected body of people can have such powers over these issues. We need the water badly, you cannot tell people not to shower or brush their teeth or wash their hands or use toilets, such measures do not work! In addition, how do we stop people from moving to California because it is a desirable part of America to live?

If any elected official steps over the boundaries of his or her role in that particular position, be it Governor, State Senator, County or City official, the remedy is or can be the next election. This is happening all the time but there is no voice by the people as to who gets on the California Coastal Commission. That is an unacceptable situation and it should be seriously reviewed and changed by the people. This is environmental protection beyond the pail; this has reached the level of extremism that should not be accepted and must be changed. There are few who will come out and say “stop protecting the environment”, but when the pendulum swings to the other extreme, it is time to bring it back to acceptable levels.

This article and others on Back to Common Sense are designed to provoke further thought and investigation.   It is not the intent for the articles to be politically biased. Sources are referenced in each article to encourage readers to delve into the supporting material.  We welcome all readers to participate with their point of view either in support or contrary with additional information sources.

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