Report 2017-118 Recommendation 18 Responses

Report 2017-118: State and Regional Water Boards: They Must Do More to Ensure That Local Jurisdictions' Costs to Reduce Storm Water Pollution Are Necessary and Appropriate (Release Date: March 2018)

Recommendation #18 To: Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board

Los Angeles should correct its pollutant control plan where it miscalculated two pollutant limits.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2022

The Los Angeles Water Board corrected the two numeric targets in the Dominguez Channel and Greater Los Angeles / Long Beach Harbor Waters Toxic Pollutants TMDL when the TMDL was reconsidered at its October 13, 2022 board meeting. The Los Angeles Water Board's action is memorialized in Resolution No. R22-005, Attachment A to the resolution (see Table 5, p. 6), and the accompanying staff report (see p. 54).

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From September 2021

The Los Angeles Water Board will the correct numeric targets in the Dominguez Channel and Greater Los Angeles / Long Beach Harbor Waters Toxic Pollutants TMDL when the TMDL is reconsidered. This reconsideration was planned for April 2020, but has been delayed to June 2022.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2020

The Los Angeles Water Board will the correct numeric targets in the Dominguez Channel and Greater Los Angeles / Long Beach Harbor Waters Toxic Pollutants TMDL when the TMDL is reconsidered. This reconsideration was planned for April 2020, but has been delayed to June 2021.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From November 2019

In progress. The Los Angeles Water Board plans to reconsider the Dominguez Channel and Greater Los Angeles / Long Beach Harbor Waters Toxic Pollutants TMDL in fiscal year 2019-20. As part of the scheduled reconsideration, Board staff will propose correction of the numeric targets for two of the individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), methylnaphthalene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene. For these two PAHs, the incorrect thresholds were selected from the NOAA Screening Quick Reference Tables. However, these corrections will not affect the pollutant load or waste load allocations assigned to discharges in the TMDL because the load and waste load allocations are based on a correct numeric target for total PAHs, and not the incorrect targets for the two individual PAHs. See https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/losangeles/water_issues/programs/tmdl/docs/R11-008_RB_BPA.pdf.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Pending

1-Year Agency Response

In progress. The Los Angeles Water Board is scheduled to reconsider the Dominguez Channel and Greater Los Angeles / Long Beach Harbor Waters Toxic Pollutants TMDL in fiscal year 2018-19. Board staff held a public meeting on June 8, 2018 to discuss the reconsideration with the regulated community, including MS4 permittees, and other stakeholders. As part of the scheduled reconsideration, Board staff will propose correction of the numeric targets for two of the individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), methylnaphthalene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene. For these two PAHs, the incorrect thresholds were selected from the NOAA Screening Quick Reference Tables. However, these corrections will not affect the pollutant load or waste load allocations assigned to discharges in the TMDL because the load and waste load allocations are based on a correct numeric target for total PAHs, and not the incorrect targets for the two individual PAHs. See https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/losangeles/water_issues/programs/tmdl/docs/R11-008_RB_BPA.pdf.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending

6-Month Agency Response

In progress. The Los Angeles Water Board is scheduled to reconsider the Dominguez Channel and Greater Los Angeles / Long Beach Harbor Waters Toxic Pollutants TMDL in fiscal year 2018-19. Board staff held a public meeting on June 8, 2018 to discuss the reconsideration with the regulated community, including MS4 permittees, and other stakeholders. As part of the scheduled reconsideration, Board staff will propose correction of the numeric targets for two of the individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), methylnaphthalene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene. For these two PAHs, the incorrect thresholds were selected from the NOAA Screening Quick Reference Tables. However, these corrections will not affect the pollutant load or waste load allocations assigned to discharges in the TMDL because the load and waste load allocations are based on a correct numeric target for total PAHs, and not the incorrect targets for the two individual PAHs. See https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/losangeles/water_issues/programs/tmdl/docs/R11-008_RB_BPA.pdf.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending

60-Day Agency Response

In progress. The Los Angeles Regional Water Board is scheduled to reconsider the Dominguez Channel and Greater Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor Waters Toxic Pollutants TMDL in fiscal year 2018-19. As part of the scheduled reconsideration, Board staff will propose correction of the numeric targets for two of the individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), methylnaphthalene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene. For these two PAHs, the incorrect thresholds were selected from the NOAA Screening Quick Reference Tables. However, these corrections will not affect the pollutant load or waste load allocations assigned to discharges in the TMDL because the load and waste load allocations are based on a correct numeric target for total PAHs, and not the incorrect targets for the two individual PAHs. See https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/losangeles/water_issues/programs/tmdl/docs/R11-008_RB_BPA.pdf.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2017-118

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.