Heal The Ocean

HEAL THE OCEAN FOCUSES ON WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE - WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS (WWTPS) AND SEPTIC SYSTEMS AS A PRIME SUBJECT FOR IMPROVEMENT, TO PROTECT THE OCEAN. THIS WORK INVOLVES HOOKING UP SEPTIC SYSTEMS TO PUBLIC SEWER, AND ACCESSING STATE GRANTS TO HELP WWTSS UPGRADE TO RECYCLED WATER. OUR ORGANIZATION FOCUSES ON A WIDE RANGE OF OCEAN POLLUTION SOURCES: ABANDONED HOMELESS CAMPS, STYROFOAM, WRECKED BOATS ON THE BEACH, LEAKING OIL WELLS IN NEARSHORE AREAS - AND FINALLY, SEA LEVEL RISE, WHICH IS IMPACTING THE COASTLINE IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BUT ALSO THE ENTIRE STATE.

HEAL THE OCEAN IS ENGAGED IN SEVERAL CRITICAL INITIATIVES AIMED AT ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE INITIATIVES INCLUDE: -PROTECTING GROUNDWATER FROM SEPTIC SYSTEMS AND OTHER POLLUTANTS. -ALIGNING WITH STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING MECHANISMS TO INCREASE RECYCLEDWATER PRODUCTION IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY AND THE STATE. -PRODUCING UPDATES ON SEA LEVEL RISE (SLR) AS CLIMATE CHANGE THREATS INCREASE, BY PROVIDING PRESSURING AGENCIES TO START ACTING ON RECOMMENDATIONS MADE IN SEA LEVEL RISE PLANNING DOCUMENTS. -BRINGING ATTENTION TO SLR MIXING WITH CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER AND RAISING THE CONTAMINATION TO THE SURFACE, TO IMPACT PUBLIC HEALTH. -COLLABORATING WITH THE STATE LANDS COMMISSION ON CAPPING LEAKING OIL WELLS IN SUMMERLAND. -PARTNERING WITH MARBORG INDUSTRIES IN AN ONGOING PROJECT FOR STYROFOAM REPURPOSING IN SANTA BARBARA, TO DIVERT STYROFOAM FROM THE LANDFILL. -ORGANIZING AND FACILITATING THE PROPER REMOVAL OF BOAT WRECKS THAT HIT THE BEACH, THREATENING PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY. -PROVIDING DOG WASTE BAGS AT COUNTY AND CITY PARKS, BEACHES AND TRAILS PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT FROM THE NEGATIVE IMPACT OF PET WASTE.I. SEPTIC SYSTEMS:A) SEPTIC SYSTEM POLLUTION OF GROUNDWATER. HTO ACTIVELY WORKS ON THE ISSUE OF SEPTIC SYSTEMS POLLUTING BOTH GROUNDWATER BASINS AND SURFACE WATER. A PARTICULAR TARGET AT PRESENT IS LOS OLIVOS, WHERE AN ENTIRE TOWN IS USING SEPTIC SYSTEMS OVERLYING A CRUCIAL GROUNDWATER BASIN THAT IS A CRUCIAL SOURCE OF POTABLE WATER IN THE AREA.B) SEPTIC TO SEWER. HTO AIDS IN TRANSITIONING HOMEOWNER GROUPS ON SEPTIC SYSTEMS, TO HOOK UP TO PUBLIC, AND WHERE FEASIBLE LOCAL STATE FUNDING TO HELP SUCH PROJECTS. IN 2023, WE FOCUSED ON LOS OLIVOS (INLAND) AND BEACH CLUB ROAD (COASTAL). ONGOING WORK WITH SANTA BARBARA CITY AGENCIES TO TRANSITION SEPTIC SYSTEMS TO SEWER IN CITY "POCKETS" IDENTIFIED IN THE SANTA BARBARA CITY WEST END MASTER PLAN.II. UPGRADING WASTEWATER TO RECYCLED WATER:HEAL THE OCEAN CONTINUES TO EDUCATE, RESEARCH, ADVOCATE FOR, AND FACILITATE THE UPGRADING OF WASTE(D) WATER TO RECYCLED WATER THAT CAN BE USED FOR IRRIGATION, AND IN SOME CASES FOR PREVENTING SALT-WATER INTRUSION INTO GROUNDWATER BASINS. WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF WWTP DISTRICTS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR HOW WE MIGHT HELP WITH AUGMENTED STUDIES AND/OR FINANCING. III. OCEAN POLLUTION:A) SCOPE THE COAST. HTO HAS CREATED A MAP OF CONTAMINATED COASTAL AREAS, TO ANALYZE RISING SEA LEVEL IMPACT IN THESE AREAS, SINCE INCOMING OCEAN WILL CAUSE GROUNDWATER TO RISE, THEREBY RELEASING CONTAMINANTS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE - A DIRECT IMPACT TO PUBLIC HEALTH. OUR "SCOPE THE COAST" PROJECT BUILDS ON PREVIOUS HTO WORK, TO PRESENT LEGISLATORS WITH IDEAS FOR REMEDIATION. THE SOCIAL JUSTICE ASPECT OF THIS WORK: RISING CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER PRESENT A THREAT TO COASTAL AREAS WITH LOW-INCOME POPULATIONS.B) CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER CLEANUP - CITY OF SANTA BARBARA. HTO HAS WORKED WITH THE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD TO IDENTIFY COASTAL CONTAMINATED AREAS, INFORMATION HTO HAS ASSEMBLED FROM MONITORING WELLS, AND COMBINED WITH INFORMATION FROM THE REGIONAL BOARD SITE MITIGATION UNIT (SMU), TO GREATLY EXPAND THE STATE'S GEOTRACKER PROGRAM. BEFORE A DEVELOPMENT IS APPROVED BY CITY OR COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSIONS, HTO ENSURES THAT SUCH SITES ARE CLEANED UP AS PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS. C) SEA LEVEL RISE. WITH SLR BEING AN INCREASING THREAT TO THE CALIFORNIA COAST, HEAL THE OCEAN IS WORKING WITH OTHER POLITICAL ENTITIES TO FORMULATE A PLAN TO PROJECT COASTAL COMMUNITIES - AND ALSO TO PREVENT BUILDING IN A COASTAL ZONE THAT WILL BE FLOODED WITH 30 YEARS. IV. ONSHORE POLLUTION:OIL POLLUTION OF SUMMERLAND BEACH. HTO HAS BEEN PRINCIPAL LOBBYIST FOR STATE FUNDS (SB44 - JACKSON) TO PROVIDE THE CALIFORNIA STATE LANDS COMMISSION WITH THE MONEY IT NEEDS TO ADDRESSING THE LEAKING WELLS OFF SUMMERLAND BEACH. IN 2023, HTO LAUNCHED ITS SUMMERLAND OIL MITIGATION STUDY (SOMS) TO PRODUCE A GEOLOGICAL MAP OF THE OCEAN FLOOR (WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DONE SINCE 1908) TO HELP CREATE A BETTER PLAN FOR CAPPING OPERATIONS. B) STYROFOAM AND SINGLE-USE PLASTIC POLLUTION. HTO CONTINUES ITS SUCCESSFUL STYROFOAM RECYCLING PROGRAM WITH MARBORG INDUSTRIES. IN TOTAL, 42,000 LBS OF STYROFOAM HAS BEEN DIVERTED FROM THE LANDFILL SINCE JULY 2021. C) CLEANUP OF ABANDONED HOMELESS CAMPS. HTO TACKLES WATER POLLUTION CAUSED BY HOMELESS CAMPS, CREATING GIS MAPS TO IDENTIFY AND LOCATE THE CAMPS, THEN COLLABORATING WITH FIRE AND SHERIFF DEPARTMENTS TO REMOVE ABANDONED CAMPS, PREVENTING DEBRIS FROM REACHING THE OCEAN.V. BEACH CLEANUPS:A) COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER CLEANUPS. HEAL THE OCEAN CONTINUES ITS SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM OF FACILITATING LARGE BEACH CLEANUPS ON THE SANTA BARBARA COASTLINE BY PROVIDING CLEANUP EQUIPMENT TO GROUPS THAT WANT TO CONDUCT BEACH CLEANUPS. B) BOAT WRECKAGE CLEANUP. WHEN A BOAT CRASHES ON THE COASTLINE IN SOUTH SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, HTO ENSURES THAT NO TOXIC WASTE OR LIQUIDS LEAK, AND HTO FACILITATES THE PROPER REMOVAL OF EACH BOAT. HTO CONTINUES TO FACILITATE THE DERELICT BOAT TASK FORCE, COMPOSED OF LOCAL OFFICIALS, WATERFRONT, COAST GUARD AND OTHER ENTITIES, TO CREATE A PROGRAM AIMED AT ESTABLISHING A PROTOCOL FOR PREVENTING FUTURE BOAT WRECKS.VI. DOG BAG PROGRAM:A) DOG BAG SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM. HTO ANNUALLY RAISES OVER $20,000 TO SEND TO BOTH THE COUNTY AND CITY OF SANTA BARBARA TO PAY FOR COMPOSTABLE DOG BAGS THAT ARE DISPENSED IN COUNTY/CITY DOG BAG DISPENSERS. WE COLLABORATE WITH COUNTY AND CITY PARK OFFICIALS TO INSTALL THE DISPENSERS, AND WE PRODUCE THE STICKERS THAT ARE ADVERTISING VEHICLES FOR SPONSORS.