Bandon & Pebbles of Sand Point have bought 1,000 doggy bags!
HTO recently sent $2,500 to the County of Santa Barbara to pay for doggy bags that are being stocked in beach dispensers! Thank you to all the doggies contributing to this fund! $60 buys 1,000 doggy bags! Please view the gallery of doggies who in the past have donated to this cause, and have your doggies renew their contributions for 2012!
On Friday the 13th, 2012, the first homeowner in Sand Point (a big HTO supporter incidentally) was able to flush into the new sewer system now being completed for the Sand Point community of homes! This project, part of the South Coast Beach Communities Septic-to-Sewer project, is one of HTO’s flagship programs to reduce ocean pollution. Sewer construction is now starting for the Sandyland group of homes, with Rincon close behind. The Carpinteria Sanitary District also has information about the South Coast Beach Communities Septic to Sewer Project on its home page http://carpsan.com/#
Heal the Ocean works to get wastewater treatment plants up to higher treatment levels (i.e. our 2002 win to have the Goleta Sanitary District upgrade to full secondary treatment). As a way of keeping wastewater out of the ocean, HTO is now involved in finding funds for sanitary districts to join with water districts to produce recycled wastewater totally cleaned of CECs (contaminants of emerging concern), suitable for irrigation and other uses. This program ties in with California’s dire need of water in a worsening draught.
Septic systems operate on the principle of leaching, and they must be removed from inappropriate beach and creek areas. “Cluster overuse” must be dealt with by sewer hookup. HTO facilitates homeowner associations to hook up to sewer, i.e., our recent successful campaign for the “South Coast Beach Communities Septic to Sewer Project,” wherein 7 miles of beaches will be cleared of septic systems.
(e.g. stormwater and groundwater). HTO has worked to toughen storm water permits for Santa Barbara County and every city in Santa Barbara County, has worked with USGS and the City of Santa Barbara on a three-year groundwater study. We lobby for increased street sweeping and enforcement for illegal dumping into creeks and drains.
Dredge and fill operations in the name of “restoring beaches” will not be performed unless materials are suitable, and clean for beaches, and plans do not cause smothering of near-shore sea life.
We are taking an active role in the issue of pollutants leaching into the sea and into groundwater from unlined landfills. HTO research now includes the examination of data from monitoring wells in Santa Barbara’s waterfront area for both old landfill sites and unresolved LUST (leaking underground storage tank) sites.
