Environmental Safety Committee Approves Lieu Bill To Improve Reporting Of Sewage Spills

Sacramento, CA – Assembly Bill 800, legislation that strengthens state laws affecting the emergency notification and reporting of raw sewage spills, won approval of the Assembly Environmental Safety & Toxic Materials Committee on a bipartisan vote.

Introduced by Assemblymember Ted W. Lieu (D-Torrance), AB 800 is based on a Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller report that turned up evidence of hundreds of sewage spills throughout Los Angeles County since January 2002 that have never been reported. The largest such spill occurred last year in Manhattan Beach, which is in Assemblymember Lieu’s district.

“This is a serious public health issue. These unreported spills represent over 8 million gallons of raw sewage that have spread into the coastal areas of Los Angeles County,” Lieu said. “This is reprehensible that the proper public health authorities were never contacted in the event of these spills, and that no one really knows where the spills occurred and what communities were impacted.”

AB 800 is sponsored by the LA County Board of Supervisors, and Lieu has been working closely on the issue with Supervisor Don Knabe, who shares much of the coastal area Lieu represents.  The bill makes two major changes in the reporting of spills: 1) require immediate notification of both the local health officer and the Office of Emergency Services in the event of a sewage spill; and 2) impose fines on sewage treatment officials if they fail to report a spill.

“In the event of a spill, the most important thing is protecting the public,” Lieu added.  “If health officials are notified immediately, they can notify the public, close beaches, and begin the clean-up process right away.”

The bill is joint-authored by Assemblymembers Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) and Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank).  It will be heard next in the Assembly Public Safety Committee.