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Another California Desalination Plant Approved — the Most Contentious One Yet

/in , , /by /CalMattersby Rachel Becker

The California Coastal Commission tonight approved another desalination plant, despite citing its high costs, risks to Monterey Bay’s environment and “the most significant environmental justice issues” the commission has faced in recent years. The commission’s divided, 8-to-2 vote came after 13 hours of debate at a Salinas public hearing packed with several hundred people, plus more crammed into overflow space. Many of the 375 who signed up to speak opposed the project — some in tears.

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Microplastics Rife in These Monterey Bay Fish and Seabirds, Study Finds

/in , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Jessica Flores

Microplastic particles are widespread in Monterey Bay anchovies and the diving seabirds that eat them as a main food source – which could possibly impact the birds’ reproductive systems, according to a new study. Scientists at UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis and the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance studied microplastic pollution in Monterey Bay by testing microplastic particles in the water and in anchovies and common murres, a bird species found in abundance in the region.

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Water Company Withdraws Desalination Proposal as Battle over Environmental Justice Heats Up

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Rosanna Xia

Amid mounting controversy and concerns over environmental justice, California American Water on Wednesday withdrew its application for a desalination project in the small Monterey Bay town of Marina.

The proposal had become one of the most fraught issues to come before the California Coastal Commission, which was set to vote Thursday. The decision would have been the first major test of the commission’s new power to review not only harm to the environment when making decisions but also harm to underrepresented communities.

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In a Small California Town, a Fight Over Desalination is Now About Environmental Justice

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times by Rosanna Xia

On a barren stretch of Monterey Bay, in a region desperate for fresh water, an oft-overlooked town has little say in whether a big water company can build a desalination operation right on its shore.

Here in Marina, where one-third of the town is low income and many speak little English, industrial facilities have long burdened the landscape. This desalination project would replace a century-old sand mine that has stripped shorebirds and rare butterflies of their home — and the community of an open space where anybody could cool off during a heat wave or enjoy a day by the sea.

Not a drop of this treated water — which would be piped to other cities, businesses and farmers in need — would even be for Marina.

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