Environmental advocacy organization Environment California filed a lawsuit against the Port of Los Angeles for the alleged illegal pollution of San Pedro Bay.
According to Environment America, the lawsuit says the port violated the federal Clean Water Act with more than 2,000 illegal discharges of pollution within the past five years alone.
High levels of fecal bacteria and copper and regular spilling of large amounts of untreated wastewater are just some of the pollution accusations the group made against the port.
Because the stormwater treatment system at the port is too small, the group says that untreated wastewater frequently bypasses the entire system, pouring into the bay.
"Everyone in and around the Los Angeles Harbor knows that the water quality is terrible," Laura Deehan, Environment California's state director, said. "We are suing to get the port's pollution of San Pedro Bay under control and make it a model for improving water quality."
The port is a department of the City of Los Angeles that does not rely on funding from tax dollars. In June, it approved a $2.6 billion budget for the next fiscal year with a $281 million net revenue projection from leasing and service fees issued to shipping companies.
"If a well-funded city department pollutes in violation of its Clean Water Act permit limits, how can the city expect anyone else to comply?" Deehan said.
This is not the first time the port has been caught violating the Clean Water Act. In the past, the department has paid the "mandatory minimum" fee of $3,000 for each infraction, but it has carried on unfazed.
Forcing the port to stop polluting would lead to cleaner water for local residents and provide a safer environment for marine wildlife.
Cleaning up Earth's bodies of water is important for the future of our planet.
Scientists are finding new ways to trap water contaminants; lawmakers are drafting new policies to stop pollution; and the Environmental Protection Agency is setting new rules to protect waterways, all in an effort to keep our water cleaner.
"As storms become more severe due to climate change, it is imperative that the port upgrade its treatment systems to keep illegal, preventable pollution out of our coastal waters," Deehan said. "The port can afford to solve this problem — and the people of California cannot afford for unchecked pollution like this to continue."
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