Seaside Lagoon’s future questioned
Redondo Beach’s Seaside Lagoon has been in flux since before Waterfront developer CenterCal’s proposal to open the saltwater swimming hole to the ocean. But a report indicating how much the city is fined by regional and national for the Lagoon’s operation, and how those fines will only increase going forward, further called the Lagoon’s future into question at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. The city has been assessed $246,000 in penalties for water discharge violations since 1999, as a result of the Lagoon’s water circulation system, which draws in water from the AES power plant, chlorinates it for swimmers, then dechlorinates it before discharging it back into the ocean. “So we get the water, chlorinate it, swim in it, dechlorinate it, give it back cleaner than we got it, and we’re still being fined,” Mayor Steve Aspel said. “That’s just government at its finest.” Opened in 1963, Seaside Lagoon has long been one of Redondo Beach’s trademark attractions, and is particularly unique as the only saltwater lagoon in the state. According to city staff, the lagoon attracts more than 75,000 swimmers during its late May to September operating season each year; it also plays host to…
Read this story on easyreadernews.com