A tentative new 180 page water permit released by LARWQCB, if approved, would further relax the already weak pollution limits for Boeing and allow increased amounts of contaminants to migrate off SSFL in polluted runoff.

The new permit would allow up to four times the levels of certain allowable contaminants (mercury, thallium, oil, grease, nitrates, boron). It also reflects an agreement struck by the Water Board with Boeing to guarantee it will only face only very small fines for its continuing violations of pollution discharge limits.

A hearing for this permit is currently scheduled for February 12 at 1:30 pm. We encourage the public to attend the meeting and call for significant strengthening of the new permit.

LARWQCB Board Meeting – February 12, 2015 – 1:30 pm
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Board Room
700 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, California 90071

Specific areas of concern including conflict of interest and inadequate public participation process are detailed in the correspondence and attachments below:

Objections to Boeing Settlement – joint letter submitted December 11, 2014, objecting to the fact that the Consent Judgment was already approved and signed by the Water Board and Boeing, prior to the Water Board soliciting public comments. The letter also provides background on the failure of the Water Board to bring Boeing into compliance, tiny fines for violations, and apparent conflict of interest between key board officials and Boeing.

Comments on Proposed Boeing NPDES permit – joint letter submitted January 9, 2015, which details many areas of concern including that the new permit would allow up to four times the levels of certain allowable contaminants (mercury, thallium, oil, grease, nitrates, boron), and reflects an agreement struck by the Water Board with Boeing to guarantee it will only face only very small fines for its continuing violations of pollution discharge limits. The letter also addresses issues of conflict of interest at the LARWQCB and a deeply troubled public participation process.

Attachments to Comments:

• Screen Capture of Tentative Orders page of LARWQCB website 1-6-15 – shows that as of January 6, 2015, no tentative permit for Boeing was posted, indicating that either Boeing did not submit it by the required date, or it had been submitted and had been kept essentially secret from the public, who cannot then know what Boeing is lobbying the Board to do to potentially weaken the new permit
• Screen Capture of Meeting Notice page of LARWCQB website 1-6-15 – shows that as recently as January 6, 2015, two or three days before the supposed comment deadline, no notice of opportunity to comment on the Boeing Tentative NPDES permit (which also was not posted) was on the LARWQCB website. Nor was any agenda for the February 2015 Board meeting posted, which would show the matter being on the agenda.
• Screen Capture of Board Members page of LARWQCB website 1-9-15 – shows Board Chair Charlie Stringer listed as Principle of Renewable Resources Group, a firm that was hired by Boeing to work against the SSFL cleanup). This contradicts a letter sent by Board Executive Officer Samuel Unger who asserted that Mr. Stringer is not a principal of RRG. The Board’s own website, posting Mr. Stringer’s biography, says: “Mr. Stringer is Principal and General Counsel with the Renewable Resources Group.”
• Inside Job – How Boeing Fixers Captured Regulators and Derailed a Nuclear and Chemical Cleanup in LA’s Backyard – report by Consumer Watchdog June 2014 that details of the work by LARWQCB Board Chair Charlie Stringer and his firm to help Boeing get out of having to clean up all the contamination at SSFL.