Southern California Desalination plant. (Photo: Shutterstock, KK Stock)
Our Lives Depend On Water
Assembly candidate calls for 30 more desalination plants as water solution for entire state
By Mindy Pechenuk, July 29, 2022 10:40 am
On May 12, 2022, the California Coastal Commission, including Governor Newsom’s appointees, unanimously voted down the plan for construction of a desalination plant at Huntington Beach that would convert Pacific Ocean water into 50 million gallons of freshwater per day, enough water for 400,000 Californians. The people of the state of California come first. Our lives depend on water.
We must set aside our differences and unite together, irrespective of party. We can and must create the momentum to stop the environmentalist lunatics that are putting the citizens of California and the nation’s food supply at risk. We can no longer tolerate policies which make the citizens of this state “an endangered species.”
Gavin Newsom must immediately fire the four Coastal Commissioners who blocked the new facility which he claimed he supports.
Background on the Plant That Should Be Built Now
This desalination plant would be a sister to Poseidon’s Carlsbad plant which produces 50,000 acre feet of water, providing 10% of San Diego County’s water supply. Governor Newsom and state legislators should enact the laws necessary to begin the immediate construction of the Huntington Beach desalination plant on a schedule of 24 hours 7 days a week. There is no reason for the environmentalist lobbies to be allowed to get away with this.
Furthermore, in the near future I will issue a plan to construct not one, but 30 of these desalination plants.
I will be proposing to have six desalination plants built in San Francisco Bay. This will ensure that we have present and future water for our daily needs, including expanded industrial and agricultural production.
We must demand that Newsom act now. We will not survive as a state if we do not put people first.
We demand that all California State Legislators not only support this demand, but fight to get the shovels in the ground to build every desalination plant we need.
I am calling on all candidates running for office in California in the 2022 general election, be they Democrats, Republicans, No Party Preference or none of the above, to join me in demanding that Newsom fire his four appointees to the Coastal Commission NOW.
If you would like to endorse this statement, “It’s Time for Gavin Newsom to Put Up or Shut Up,” respond to this email by emailing me, Mindy Pechenuk at info@electmindy.com.
Here’s what else you can do:
- Our Lives Depend On Water - July 29, 2022
Sounds like you should align & join forces with Lori Mills in the newly aligned 42nd Assembly District – Lori has also emphasized that California Water MISmanagement is one of the most pressing, important problems to be solved.
Her incumbent opponent, Jacqui Irwin, falls firmly in the “fish come first” camp, to the harm of California citizens.
All of you should unite under a “People First” campaign theme, not the illusory “smelt” fish that have been protected for decades, yet have little to no value in the grand scheme of life in California…
Mindy, you are SPOT ON in demanding that Newsom FIRE the four unelected, unaware members of the California Coastal Commission, none of whom have any technical expertise in water management or even in general management – they are emotion-driven, partisan hacks or significant donor contributors to the Democrat Party…
We need to get clear-headed, logical MANAGEMENT of the most precious resource in California : WATER
Ed Ring’s recent EXTENSIVE analysis of the background of the water MISmanagement in California was horrifying and he is a valuable resource for overturning the cabal that currently chokes off California water resources for myriad reasons that are rooted in EMOTION or Agenda 2030 platforms, not sustaining life in California….
Thank you for your comments and ideas for further collaboration they are appreciated. Mindy
There is no one-solution answer. We must have more water containment. We must fill our aquifers. We must clean our rivers before the water reaches the sea. We must have more water desalination plants. Whatever the costs, we must have more water to survive.
Thank you Mindy for bringing attention to this issue, and running for your local seat, we need such leadership in Sacramento, so too, CriticalDfence9’s and Ed Ring’s points about sensible water management in California
Thank you John, I will have more coming soon. Stay in touch, Mindy
I understand it may seem strange why a desal plant should not be built with the water restrictions. However, it comes down to location, location, location.
If you take a few minutes to reflect on why Huntington Beach is a bad place for a desal plant, you will understand why it was rejected.
Here are the reasons:
– Orange County sites on top of a HUGE aquifer. By using other water sources when there is a lot of water (2018 was the wettest year EVER) and tapping the aquifer during dry years, Orange County Water District (OCWD) will never be short of water.
– The desal plant would sit right on top of a dangerous earthquake fault. The epicenter of the second deadliest California earthquake was biking distance for the proposed plant.
– The OCWD spent three long sessions (6+ hours) trying to figure out what to do with the water. They could not figure out how to transport 50MG/Day to someone who could use it.
So the issue was it was a very bad location.
I feel other desal plants make a lot of sense. However, using recycled water is a much better choice and should be done before desal.
Hi Scott,
Thank you for your thoughts, and we should keep the dialogue going. You mentioned your concern about location. As far as I know the question of location was never one of their concerns. Their objections were political and in the direction of the green agenda. One of their big concerns were the little critters in the water.
What most people don’t know as for Orange County, there are 6 million people in the region that are already under a rationing regime because the MWDSC has been cut-off from the water normally sent by the California State Aqueduct to the region. In addition, southern California receives 25% of its water from the COlorado River, which is soon to be reduced dramatically due to the crisis on the river.
I believe what ever problems exist we can solve, using our creative minds and souls. I believe all these existing problems are politically intended by the Uni-Party. The drought is real, but developing the incredible technological breakthroughs to solve the problem have been there and are there. Gavin Newsom and others have refused to develop these solutions. That is why I am running for State Assembly Let us work together to bring them about. Keep in touch, Mindy
Hi Mindy,
First off, thanks for posting my comment. It is great that you are open to hearing from a wide view of people.
Most of the reasons the CCC’s Staff report lists are a result of location. The intake method Poseidon was proposing is from the 1950s. Newer methods (like those being included in Doheny) do not require the mitigation requirements. Poseidon stated that Huntington Beach could not use these newer methods. Another reason was the earthquake and sea level rise. Again location.
However, gains in technology have lead to an efficient process of taking sewage and turning it into drinking water. OCWD has the largest process in the world doing this. This same tech is now going to be used in LA. Unfortunately, the current regulations require the water to be pumped into the aquifer before it is pumped out. This adds costs to the process and limits the use of this tech. However, there is a plan to revamp these regs next year. Hopefully, these changes will allow this new tech to be used in other locations.
Thanks again for being open to comments and looking for creative solutions.
-Scott
What have then done with the 4 voting measures on water since 2010? seems nothing happened other than to increase fees on the people. I guess gov’t believe who controls the vote and water control the masses
Mindy, the dominant species is hardly an endangered species. You provided no reasons why this proposal was struck down. Do you not want the people to weigh the pros and cons honestly? Do you not want to consider alternative solutions? This article is shallow, like I’m sure you’d like voters to be
Hi Deanna,
Thanks for your comments. Just to give you and others the reasoning it was voted down:
Some of the Coastal Commission spoke to their fears about endangering the marine creatures. This is expressed Tom Luster, an environmental scientist with the commission. He is quoted in the article in Cal Matters, May 12, 2022.
” The project would kill marine life in about 275 million gallons of seawater per day, which is 100 billions of seawater each year.” .
The vote was 11-0 against the plant.” The staff denied the plant “due to this project’s fundamental inconsistencies with the Costal Act and LCP policies related to coastal hazards, protection and mitigation of marine life, and protection of wetlands and environmentally sensitive habitat, as well as its unclear but likely significant burdens on environmental justice communities”. This as reported in JDSupra May 17, 2022.
The documentation goes on. Many nations of the world are successful in building desalination plants and are doing well. There other measures we can develop, but we need clean fresh water now and desalination is the way to go. Other solutions do not provide the fresh water we need now, and that is a longer discussion.
I would offer a suggestion – don’t be quick to judge my supporters and voters. Always open to good dialogue.
Mindy Pechenuk