Don’t let Poseidon ruin Huntington

Marinka Horack

Opposition to the proposed Poseidon desalination plant is widespread

and comes from local, regional, statewide and national organizations.

Here are just a few of the many groups that have responded critically

to Poseidon’s latest environmental report: the California Coastal

Commission, the Surfrider Foundation, the California Department of

Fish & Game, San Diego Baykeeper, the Orange County Water District,

the Sierra Club, the Ocean Conservancy, the Irvine Ranch Water

District, the Southern California Watershed Alliance, and the

Metropolitan Water District.

Southeast Huntington Beach residents also oppose Poseidon in huge

numbers, and they are being accused of being NIMBYs, despite the fact

that there is this widespread opposition. Southeast Huntington

residents oppose the Poseidon project for a multitude of reasons, but

mainly because the whole Poseidon scheme is bad for Huntington Beach,

or any other place.

Southeast Huntington Beach has more than its fair share of

burdens, which it endures for the public good. It is wedged between

the smelly Orange County Sanitation District and the smoke-belching

AES plant. The toxic waste dump at Magnolia and Hamilton is right

next to high-power electric lines that carry AES’s product to far-off

places. Construction of the still-uncompleted sewer pipeline down

Bushard caused so much damage to homes along its route (foundations

cracked, swimming pools drained, doors and windows that won’t shut)

that there is a multi-million-dollar lawsuit filed against the

builders.

On top of all that, southeast Huntington Beach is being asked to

endure just one more enormous insult: Poseidon and another pipeline

constructed through Hamilton, Brookhurst and Adams to carry

Poseidon’s water to far-off places. Surprise. Huntington Beach will

not be a customer for the expensive water. And people from other

areas have the nerve to call us NIMBYs.

As for Poseidon, it might be good for people to research the big

financial trouble which that company has caused to the people of

Tampa Bay. The desalination plant Poseidon set up there is still not

working; Poseidon is gone; the taxpayers have to pay for the repairs.

And another thing to think about: Why has everyone forgotten Enron

so soon?

The worst thing for southeast Huntington Beach to bear is that we

have council members who will vote for out-of-state Poseidon, rather

than vote on the side of the people that they were elected to

represent.

* MARINKA HORACK is a Huntington Beach resident. To contribute to

“Sounding Off” e-mail us at o7hbindependent @latimes.comf7 or fax

us at (714) 966-4667.