tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127079422024-03-16T11:51:34.573-07:00WWW.SaveAllofBallona.orgBALLONA ECOSYSTEM EDUCATION PROJECT....SaveAllofBallona.org, DontBulldozeBallona.comRex Frankelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628414635820202044noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12707942.post-11060926321930863412023-07-19T22:34:00.002-07:002023-07-19T22:34:50.120-07:00<p> <b style="text-align: center;"><u><span style="color: red;"><b>Most current news:</b></span></u></b></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><span style="color: red;"><b><a href="http://Ballona-News.blogspot.com">Ballona-News.blogspot.com</a></b></span></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></u></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u><span style="color: red;"><b>WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR:</b></span><br />DO WE RESTORE BALLONA IN 10 YEARS OR <span style="color: red;">1 YEAR</span>?<br />FOR $180 MILLION OR FOR <span style="color: red;">AN AFFORDABLE PRICE</span>?<br />MUST ALL WILDLIFE AND PLANTS AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES BE WIPED OUT<br />OR CAN WE JUST<span style="color: red;"> CLEAN UP TRASH, </span><span style="color: red;">PULL WEEDS, DO MINOR PLUMBING REPAIRS, AND<br />ADD CLEAN FRESH WATER</span>?</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b>------</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>BALLONA ECOSYSTEM EDUCATION PROJECT</u></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">A Project of Mount Rexmore Progressive Resource Center, <a href="http://REXMORE.blogspot.com">REXMORE.blogspot.com</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">A California non-profit corporation</span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">P.O. Box 451153, Los Angeles, CA 90045<b><span style="font-size: 29.3333px;"><br /></span></b></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"></span></b></span>Litigation and Education to Protect Our<br />Remaining Open Spaces, Since 1985<br /><u><br /></u><br /><div><u><span style="font-weight: bold;">QUICK LINKS:</span></u><br /><br /><u><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MOST ACTIVE ISSUE:</b></span></span></u><br /><br /><b><span style="color: red;"><a href="http://ballona-news.blogspot.com/search/label/Restoration%20Planning"><span style="font-size: 29.3333px;">--Restoration Planning</span></a></span></b></div><div align="center"><br /><b><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><a href="http://ballona-news.blogspot.com/">--Current News on Ballona</a></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 29.3333px;"><br /></span></b><br />-- <b><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><a href="http://ballona-news.blogspot.com/search/label/Ballona%20History">History</a></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 29.3333px;"><br /></span></b><br /><b><br /></b><b>--ARCHIVES: ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LIBRARY:</b><br /><b><a href="http://ballona.blogspot.com/p/ballona-environmental-library.html">http://ballona.blogspot.com/p/ballona-environmental-library.html</a></b><br /><b><br /></b><b><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><a href="http://ballona-news.blogspot.com/search/label/Restoring%20and%20Unpaving%20Local%20Open%20Spaces%20to%20Clean%20Up%20Santa%20Monica%20Bay%20Beaches">--Ballona Creek Water Pollution Cleanup</a></span></b><br /><br /><b><a href="http://ballonaplants.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size: 29.3333px;">--Native Plants of Ballona</span></a></b></div><div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/18NcQrj_XZUnh4fhCGEvg64t68JHW5FXQ/view">--Wildlife of Ballona</a></span></span><br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />OTHER BALLONA GROUPS:<br /><a href="http://saveballona.org/">SaveBallona.org</a><br /><a href="http://ballona.org/">Ballona.org</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ballonawetlandslandtrust/">https://www.facebook.com/ballonawetlandslandtrust/</a><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ProtectBallonaWetlandsandGrasslands/">https://www.facebook.com/ProtectBallonaWetlandsandGrasslands/</a><br /><a href="http://lacreekparks.org/">LACreekParks.org</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-LA-Creek-Parks-502618739892011/">https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-LA-Creek-Parks-502618739892011/</a><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1466834933428779/">https://www.facebook.com/groups/1466834933428779/</a><br /><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">---------------------------------------</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">1/22/2018: A Big victory for fans of the Ballona Wetlands<span style="font-size: small;">: the governing board of LA's revered parks creator, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, unanimously rejected endorsing the industrial scale, 9-years of earthmoving, wildlife- wipeout fake restoration plan despite heavy lobbying by state bureaucrats eager to blow $180 million of our taxes on a project rejected by locals, the Sierra Club and the LA Audubon Society. Here's the audio: <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsoundcloud.com%2Frex-frankel%2Fsmmc-meeting-01-22-2018&h=ATPkr4r2IUIxJtF1RF8sfX19aoyj8SFmZD1FbJHUCEsnhYn3_TirMcUwp1ZoxTCdwJPGq82U_fviMDlPm4HfqHgWgGG6N7BPokX58SKWyDXGNAG7sla-3dmMIOksxzc0Yqk6aP-iCBLpRRFlOa-b0lERqs-6a0S82uVk8GRJsHV6tqBOJMfYd-L_ZoxmOuA3ogzLHafygQQRj5NBz5T5nmS1VHwF819-rtJVdneTVBS5E0drgB3eb-RKDeCwwu0L08hWn4rmuz0PwoFUfx-DFcggPBbO5QkuFoNs2otpIbH8QIyCyWNgrBEI-w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/rex-frankel/smmc-meeting-01-22-2018</a></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> ---------------------------------------</div><br />CA Coastal Commission Slaps Around Developer For Illegally Drying Up Our Wetlands<br /><br />A 4 Minute video, 12/14/2017<br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ciframe%20width=%22560%22%20height=%22315%22%20src=%22https://www.youtube.com/embed/RZx3ZfSePeA?rel=0%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allow=%22autoplay;%20encrypted-media%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RZx3ZfSePeA?rel=0" width="560"></iframe></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">photos and maps:<br /><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZCMg227x57HJzA3m2">https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZCMg227x57HJzA3m2</a><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">------------------------------------</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>TO READ THE "RESTORATION PLAN" EIR DOCUMENTS</b>: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ballona-eir">http://tinyurl.com/ballona-eir</a></div><br /></div><br />------------------</div><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">OUR STATEMENT AT THE 11/8/2017 PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BALLONA WETLANDS RESTORATION PROJECT:</span></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: small;">"Of all the alternatives, if #3 eliminated the dredging of Parcel A and featured historically accurate small creeks in it, there would be something I could endorse. Unfortunately, the current Alternatives 1, 2 and 3 are intolerable and are not restorations by any credible standard.</span></blockquote></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">My message to you is this: YOUR PLAN SIMPLY SWITCHES THE LOCATIONS OF THE PARCEL B WETLANDS AND THE PARCEL A UPLANDS.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"> THIS SWITCHEROO IS A HUGE WASTE OF OUR MONEY.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">RESTORE THE BALLONA WETLANDS...WHERE THEY ARE NOW.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">RESTORE THE BALLONA UPLANDS...WHERE THEY ARE NOW.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">YOU DON'T NEED TO DESTROY BALLONA IN ORDER TO SAVE IT</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">THERE ARE MANY LEGAL DEFICIENCIES IN THIS DRAFT EIR.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">YOUR PROJECT VIOLATES THE COASTAL ACT. Because it's not a restoration and that's all the Coastal Act allows.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">YOUR PROJECT VIOLATES THE U.S. CLEAN WATER ACT: because it floods the wetlands with polluted street runoff, with no plan to clean it up. It is illegal to degrade the water quality in federally delineated wetlands, which is what the Ballona Wetlands are.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">YOUR PROJECT ALSO VIOLATES CEQA, in that it fails to include or analyze an essential part of the project, which is the Clean Water Act-mandated street runoff cleanup plan that must be implemented before you can tear down the levees and flood the wetlands with water from Ballona Creek.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">You have no plan to clean up 99% of the flow of Ballona Creek (which comes on rainy days), no EIR, and no analysis of its impacts or whether it will ever happen.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The only plan that exists is to clean up flows in the dry season, which is not when most of the pollution and trash flows down the creek. This plan will mostly dry up the creek in the dry season by pumping three quarters of creek flows to Hyperion which will dump it in the ocean. A WASTE. Then your own EIR says it will be too difficult to provide freshwater to the wetlands, so you dismiss all freshwater alternatives as “MECHANIZED” OR HIGH MAINTENANCE. But that problem of lack of freshwater is created by your partners in the Wetlands restoration project LA City's Sanitation Department which chairs the SMBRC, which created the Bay Foundation, and the LA County Flood Control District, BY THEIR “MECHANICALLY” DRYING OUT BALLONA CREEK during most of the year. (As stated in their Ballona Creek Bacteria TMDL Project DEIR released August 2017, CA State Clearinghouse number 2017021047)</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">So you dismiss reasonable alternatives by using a “straw man” argument.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">YOU CAN FIX ALL THESE LEGAL VIOLATIONS THIS WAY:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">give us a historically accurate project, thus it will fit the definition of “restoration” and comply with the Coastal Act.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Don't flood our wetlands with polluted cruddy Ballona Creek stormwater which may never be cleaned up. INSTEAD: Pipe the clean flows during the dry season from the new Ballona Creek dry season treatment plant in Culver City to restore the historical freshwater marshes of the Ballona Wetlands.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because you won't be flooding the wetlands with pollution, you won't violate the US Clean Water Act. Because upstream polluted stormwater will not flow into the Ballona Wetlands, an upstream rainy season creek water cleanup plan is not an essential part of your project, thus, you will then not violate CEQA by deferring analysis of what is no longer an essential part of your project.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, by leaving most of the land at Ballona where it is, (leaving the wetlands where they are now, leaving the uplands where they are now), you will avoid destroying thousand year old archeological sites or desecrating graves as the Playa Vista developer discovered. You will avoid evicting the wildlife while engineering firms and their friends “Heal Their Wallets” at our expense.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">Please listen to the groups who saved over 600 acres when others were willing to let it be paved. This current plan is not “Bringing Back Ballona”. Let's actually restore Ballona, not turn it into something it never was."</span></div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">-------------------------------------------------------------------</span></div><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">SUCCESS! We have saved over 70% of the Ballona Wetlands Ecosystem through our work begun in 1985!</span></span></div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sMhjFnWQBMk/RypF28vLLNI/AAAAAAAAAe4/BY2-kJuRtPk/s1600-h/ballona+wetlands+wide+shot.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127987936033975506" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sMhjFnWQBMk/RypF28vLLNI/AAAAAAAAAe4/BY2-kJuRtPk/s400/ballona+wetlands+wide+shot.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sMhjFnWQBMk/RypEL8vLLMI/AAAAAAAAAew/vJKl_uGCloY/s1600-h/westbluffs+wildflowers.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127986097787972802" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sMhjFnWQBMk/RypEL8vLLMI/AAAAAAAAAew/vJKl_uGCloY/s400/westbluffs+wildflowers.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br /><br /><div align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 28.8px;"><a href="http://ballona-news.blogspot.com/2008/03/site-indexmap-click-below-for-more.html">Index of All Posts on Site</a></span></b></div></div>Rex Frankelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02628414635820202044noreply@blogger.com