Category Archives: Los Angeles

Announcing New Coastkeeper Environmental Water Law Clinic at Whittier Law School

Clinic Will Give Students Hands-On Experience Enforcing the Federal Clean Water Act

COSTA MESA, CA, Sep 24, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- To protect the quality of water in Southern California, law students and a non-profit environmental organization are now working together. Orange County Coastkeeper and Whittier Law School have joined forces to create the Coastkeeper Environmental Water Law Clinic at Whittier Law School.

Through the Coastkeeper Environmental Water Law Clinic, students will assist Coastkeeper to prepare for litigation using the federal Clean Water Act against polluters affecting water quality in Orange County and the Inland Empire. Whittier Law students will also help protect public access to waterways under the Coastal Act, taking an active role in following, monitoring and commenting on development projects that may affect regional waterways and public access.

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Gov. Brown signs California coastal conservation tax bill

Wendy Lee with Mike Roe - 89.3 KPCC Gov. Jerry Brown announced Saturday that he'd signed a bill to add a checkbox on California state income returns to give charitable contributions to coastal conservation efforts. “The beauty and allure of California’s coast is unrivaled and this bill gives taxpayers a simple way to help keep it that way,” Brown said in a press release. The announcement coincided with California Coastal Cleanup Day, an annual volunteer event to clean up creeks, beaches and highways. “It’s important because we’re trying to keep the habitats clean, keep these spaces clean for animals and other people to use … we’re keeping trash out of the ocean,” said Edward Murphy, a secondary education manager with environmental group Heal the Bay. Continue Reading......
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US. Coast Guard: The first line of defense for coastal communities

by Loralee Olejnik - SDnews.com A permanent fixture along North Harbor Drive since 1937, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector San Diego territory extends 200 nautical miles offshore and includes lakes running through Arizona and southern parts of Utah and Nevada. Five hundred active duty, reserve and civilian personnel serve with 600 auxiliary volunteers, providing around-the-clock coverage for the protection and preservation of San Diego’s coastline. At the helm is Capt. Sean Mahoney, Sector San Diego commander and captain of the port. Two years into his three-year term, Mahoney sat down with the San Diego Community Newspaper Group to discuss USCG operations and the critical function his organization serves in the beach community and throughout the region. Continue Reading......
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150+ Top Yachts Are Headed for Lido Boat Show

TheLog.com There’s only one place on the entire Pacific Coast where you can see the West’s largest in-the-water collection of big yachts for sale: the Lido Boat Show. The 35th annual Lido Boat Show, Sept. 26-29 at Lido Marina Village, will offer a rare personal viewing opportunity, where show-goers can step aboard and compare the finest in luxury yachts -- including cruiseworthy motoryachts, offshore sportfishers, sleek sailboats, long-range trawlers and head-turning sport yachts. Continue Reading......
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Mako shark caught off coast of Calif could be record

Courier Islander - Gillian Flaccus / The Associated Press HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. - News that a sport-fisherman reeled in — and kept — a potentially record-setting mako shark off the Southern California coast earlier this week is making waves with conservationists, who berated the catch because shark populations are vulnerable to overfishing worldwide. The female shark caught Monday off Huntington Beach weighed in at just over 1,323 pounds. It was 11 feet long and measured 8 feet around its sizeable midsection, said Kent Williams, a California-certified fish weight master and owner of New Fishall Bait, where the shark was taken for frozen storage. Jason Johnston, of Mesquite, Texas, caught the massive fish after a 2 1/2-hour battle, the Orange County Register reported. Continue Reading......
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Coastal Cleanup Volunteers Needed to Rid Waterways of Debris

By Andrea Papagianis - Dana Point Times The state’s largest one-day volunteer event is just around the corner and local agencies are reaching out to residents to take part in cleaning up the Dana Point Harbor and surrounding beaches and waterways. This year’s California Coastal Cleanup Day, which invites volunteers to participate in a three hour sweeping of debris throughout the state, will take place on Saturday, September 21. In 2012, more than 65,000 volunteered for cleanup efforts statewide and removed more than 700,000 pounds of trash from beaches and inland waterways, said Eben Schwartz, outreach manager for the California Coastal Commission. Continue Reading......
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Summer Report Card Shows 90% of Beaches Earned “A” and “B” Scores

By Ashley Cordes - Long Beach Post Beach waters in Long Beach were healthier than ever this summer, according to Heal the Bay's most recent End of Summer Beach Report Card. Of the 15 beaches monitored weekly by the Long Beach Health Department, 14 received "A" and "B" grades for the period between Memorial Day through Labor Day, meaning more than 90% of beaches received excellent marks. Last summer, only 77% of Long Beach waters received "A" and "B" grades. The one beach that faltered from the positive scores this summer was the testing site at 55th Place, which received a "D" for its exceedance above state water quality standards. Nelson Kerr, Manager of Long Beach's Bureau of Environmental Health, says that the location received weekly "A+" grades until June 25 when a single bad sample earned it a "D." Continue Reading......
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Hardy swimmers vie for elite crown

By Rhianna King, The West After emerging from the heavily polluted, freezing waters of Manhattan's Hudson River in June it was just days before Ceinwen Roberts and Lisa Delaurentis started planning their next challenge. Three months on, the Perth open-water swimmers are about to fly to Los Angeles to attempt the 32km Catalina Channel swim. Continue Reading... ...
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Weekend Beach, Surf and Weather Report

Los Angeles Weather Report: A nice and sunny weekend is ahead for the Los Angeles area. The National Weather Service predicts Saturday will see sunny skies throughout the day with light winds. Highs along the coast will hover near 70 degrees with overnight lows in the mid 60s. Inland areas will see warmer temperatures.
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Smuggling Bust on CA Beach Nets 18 Arrests, Ton of Pot

By Samantha Tata - NBClosangeles.com
More than 2,000 pounds of marijuana were seized and 18 people arrested after authorities busted a panga boat that came ashore at a Santa Barbara County beach Friday, law enforcement said.

It’s the latest bust in what officials have called an increase in illegal maritime drug smuggling along California’s central coast.

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