Harry Rabin
January 2022 E-Letter

In this E-Letter:

  • HTO Tackles Problem of Derelict Boats

  • Joining Forces to Combat Creek Pollution from Alisal Fire

  • Partnership for Resilient Communities Receives Prestigious Prize

  • Harry Rabin to Receive NOGI Award for Environment Work

  • Please Dispose of Face Masks Properly!

Wendy Pelayo
December 2021 E-Letter

In this E-letter:

  • Duquesne is done!

  • Thanks to those who help us give thanks!

Wendy Pelayo
October 2021 E-Letter

In this E-letter:

  • HTO invited onto stakeholder committee working on the implementation plan for $650M in wastewater infrastructure projects

  • How to stop receiving junk mail

  • PLEASE VOTE on Tuesday, November 2!

  • Support HTO Friday, November 5, at the Wine & Design art event featuring Paul Greene’s ocean photography!

March 2019 E-Letter

March 2019 E-Letter

  • Former S.B. County EHS Director Rick Merrifield Joins HTO Advisory Board

  • Retired County Fire Chief Eric Peterson Joins HTO Advisory Board

  • Planning Next Move on Summerland Oil

  • A (Shocking) New Truth About Recycling

  • HTO Accepting Styrofoam Waste

  • SB 332 Aims to Cut Wastewater Disposal into CA Ocean & Estuaries

  • New, Non-Intrusive Technology to Fix Your Sewer Lateral

  • EF International/HTO Beach Cleanup Program Starts in Honolulu

  • Cate School Cleans Carpinteria Beach

  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus to Re-up her Great Role as Honorary Chair of HTO's 2019 Benefit

State Lands Commission Tackling Hazards at Haskell's Beach

State Lands Commission Tackling Hazards at Haskell's Beach

State Lands Commission Petroleum drilling engineer Steve Curran sent a picture to Heal the Ocean this week that shows the rusty, hazardous pilings now being removed from Haskell's Beach, adjacent to the Bacara Resort. The removal is being done with funding from Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson's Senate Bill 44, which takes in coastal hazards removal as well escaping of abandoned, leaking oil wells. Curran is in the Santa Barbara area every week, planning the next oil-capping. . .

20 Years of HTO Work, & Finally! Garden Street/101 Freeway Gets a Clean-Up Order

In 1999, during the earliest days of HTO, someone came into our office with a vial of putrid water collected from the wall of the 101 freeway south onramp at Garden Street. We had it tested – and the bacterial readings were off the charts.

HTO chased this issue for years and were led astray by many City, County, and State officials, who said this area only consisted of a wood-mulching company. Our petition to the Regional Water Quality Control Board merely led the owner of the mulching company having to cover the area with tarps during a rain. . .

In Water Negotiation with Montecito, the City of Santa Barbara Moves Towards 'One' Water

In Water Negotiation with Montecito, the City of Santa Barbara Moves Towards 'One' Water

On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, in its negotiations with the Montecito Water District to supply water to Montecito, the Santa Barbara City Council heard from staff about the Governing Principles of the agreement. The City Council will consider its approval during a City Council meeting in spring 2019.

Heal the Ocean was thrilled to learn that one of the Governing Principles of such agreement is that the City shall have the right to supply Montecito from the City potable water supply system as a whole.

Filmmaker Harry Rabin joins HTO Advisory Board

Filmmaker Harry Rabin joins HTO Advisory Board

Film producer, writer, cinematographer and director Harry Rabin has joined Heal the Ocean's Advisory Board, lending us his invaluable hand with aerial drone work to assist State Lands work on the Summerland Oil Field cleanup. Harry is also beginning to work on a documentary, which includes some of Heal the Oceans success stories, and he helps us in achieving many of our goals to help our environment. . .

James Hawkins takes Associate Directorship at Berkeley Institute for the Future of Young Americans

James Hawkins takes Associate Directorship at Berkeley Institute for the Future of Young Americans

Former HTO Policy Analyst James Hawkins has been appointed Associate Director of Berkeley Institute for the Future of Young Americans at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. The position follows hisreceiving a Masters of Public Policy from UC Berkeley. James' focus at the Institute includes examining public policies designed to expand opportunity for young people in today’s labor market. . .

Get Ready...Here Comes the OCEAN!

Get Ready...Here Comes the OCEAN!

The Santa Barbara Airport flooded. Goleta Beach Park gone. The ocean over Cabrillo Blvd...are these scenarios sensationalism? No. The above scenarios will come to pass by 2100 if nothing is done to prevent such inundation- or at least prepare for it.

Sea Level Rise, directly caused by climate change, is a real deal, and theKing Tides of December 22-23, 2018 & January 20-21, 2019 gave us a hint of what the future looks like for Santa Barbara if we do nothing but talk about it. . .

Next Summerland Oil Cleanup Scheduled For June 2019

Next Summerland Oil Cleanup Scheduled For June 2019

Just in time to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Santa Barbara Oil Spill, Heal the Ocean is happy to announce a few preliminary details of the next phase of the Summerland Oil Field cleanup. The State Lands Commission has hired the contractor (InterAct) to cap the next leaking well - or two, or maybe even three (!), with work estimated to begin by June 2019. On Saturday, January 20, 2019, HTO Executive Director Hillary Hauser met with SLC Petroleum Drilling Engineer Steve Curran. . .

February 2019 E-Letter

February 2019 E-Letter

  • The Next Summerland Oil Cleanup Coming Soon!

  • Get Ready...Here Comes the Ocean (King Tides & Sea Level Rise)

  • James Hawkins appointed Associate Director at Berkeley Institute for the Future of Young Americans

  • EF International Language School Honored for EF/HTO Earth Day Work

  • Filmmaker Harry Rabin Joins HTO Advisory Board

  • Three Simple Things YOU Can Do for the Environment

  • HTO is Hiring a Part-Time Intern!

Charging Into the New Year with HTO

Charging Into the New Year with HTO

In these last few days of 2018, we celebrate all of our supporters who have helped us do wonderful work for the ocean this year, and we are full steam ahead on achieving great victories in 2019!

Including:

  • The capping of another (or two!) leaking oil well(s) off Summerland Beach. After the successful capping of Becker Well in February 2018, State Lands officials have communicated with us their plans to cap the next oil well(s). . .

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a national day to celebrate gratitude and giving back – and Heal the Ocean sends our deep thanks to all those who choose us to support. Your gifts, love, and donations keep us moving forward in our work for a clean ocean and unsoiled groundwater.The coming year will be filled with significant, newsworthy successes. . .

ONE WEEK VACATION FOR 2 ON TAVARUA ISLAND, FIJI!

ONE WEEK VACATION FOR 2 ON TAVARUA ISLAND, FIJI!

Heal the Ocean's 20th Anniversary Celebration 2018 was a sold-out, smashing success! Our Live Auction was Really Alive...and our Auctioneer Rick Werner got some lively bidding going. The great news is that the dear HTO supporters who were the high bidders for the “One Week Vacation on the Beautiful Island of Tavarua, Fiji” auction package have graciously let us keep their $6,000 bid while turning the trip back to us to be resold!

Heal the Ocean's 20th Anniversary In the News

Heal the Ocean's 20th Anniversary In the News

The following is from KEYT-3 by John Palminteri

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The ocean and water watchdog group Heal the Ocean celebrated its 20th anniversary over the weekend.

The event at the El Paseo restaurant featured videos, auction items and tributes. Among those honored were retiring Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Eric Petersen and Retired City Fire Chief Pat McElroy.

Heal the Ocean has spoken out strongly about efforts to clean up and cap leaking oil wells along the Summerland coastline that have polluted the waters there. . .