The Sierra Club and three Santa Barbara-area companies—MarBorg Industries, Lash Construction and Kenney Construction—announced a set of Clean Water Act settlements intended to improve stormwater controls and protect water quality near East Beach, a heavily used shoreline and nearshore habitat on the city’s East Side.
The agreements follow more than a year of negotiations stemming from water sampling conducted by the Sierra Club, according to the environmental group.
East Beach and its surrounding waters are “treasured community assets,” the Sierra Club said, noting the area supports coastal wildlife including a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins and bird species such as black skimmers and ospreys.
The announced measures are intended to help keep the beach’s ecosystem healthy for recreation and for wildlife that depends on the nearshore environment.
Sampling found elevated pollutants in stormwater runoff, Sierra Club says
The Sierra Club said it collected and analyzed stormwater samples over three winters at multiple locations on Santa Barbara’s East Side and found elevated levels of bacteria, suspended solids and harmful metals in stormwater runoff. Emily Engel, chair of Sierra Club’s Santa Barbara Group, said those findings prompted the organization to act.
“The Sierra Club was concerned that the pollution was having adverse impacts on the environment, and so we decided to reach out and take action,” Engel said in the announcement.
The press release states that the Clean Water Act’s citizen-enforcement provisions—which allow citizen groups to seek compliance with pollution-prevention permit requirements—provided the basis for the negotiations with the three companies.
Companies agree to strengthen stormwater programs and expand monitoring
Under the settlements, MarBorg, Lash and Kenney agreed to a package of steps centered on better stormwater management and oversight. Specifically, the Sierra Club said the agreements require the companies to:
- Improve stormwater management programs
- Expand monitoring of stormwater discharges
- Implement additional controls if monitoring results indicate they are warranted
The agreements also include funding to support Heal the Ocean’s local water quality initiatives, along with ongoing oversight meant to ensure the measures are implemented as negotiated, according to the announcement.
Alan Lash, vice president of Lash Construction, said the companies worked with Sierra Club to develop “practical solutions” and strengthen existing environmental programs. “As local businesses, we are committed to being good stewards of the community and natural resources that make Santa Barbara such a special place,” he said.
Sierra Club says it will continue monitoring
Deborah Williams, a Sierra Club volunteer leader and a lecturer in UC Santa Barbara’s Environmental Studies Program, described the settlements as part of Sierra Club’s broader goal of ensuring continued compliance with environmental protections.
“Sierra Club will continue to monitor for metals and other pollutants that impact ecosystems and public health,” Williams said, adding that the organization appreciated the companies’ willingness to work toward solutions aimed at safeguarding East Beach for future generations.
About the organizations involved
The Sierra Club described itself as America’s largest grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters nationwide. The group said its work spans encouraging outdoor access and public engagement with nature, while also advocating for clean energy, protecting community health, safeguarding wildlife, and preserving wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action.
The three companies involved in the settlements are long-established local employers with operations tied to construction, infrastructure, and waste management.
MarBorg Industries is a family-owned waste management and recycling company founded in 1936 by Mario F. Borgatello; it serves as the City of Santa Barbara’s waste and recycling hauler, is a certified Green Business, and says it recycles 70% or more of the material it receives while employing about 400 people across Santa Barbara County.
Kenney Construction, founded in 1995 by Jon Kenney, is a locally owned firm that has worked across California’s Central Coast for 30 years and specializes in concrete work, caisson and earth drilling, shoring, and structural steel fabrication; the company said it employs more than 50 skilled tradespeople and is active in the Santa Barbara Contractors Association.
Lash Construction is a family-run general engineering contractor founded in 1978 by Art Lash; the company said it has built public infrastructure across the Central Coast for more than 45 years—including roads, utilities, sidewalks, and structural concrete—and operates a recycling facility that can process up to 45,000 tons per year of concrete, asphalt, and masonry to support sustainable construction practices in the county.
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In what way did these three companies contribute to pollutants in stormwater runoff?
Per the article:
“The Sierra Club said it collected and analyzed stormwater samples over three winters at multiple locations on Santa Barbara’s East Side and found elevated levels of bacteria, suspended solids and harmful metals in stormwater runoff.”
And:
“Under the settlements, MarBorg, Lash and Kenney agreed to a package of steps centered on better stormwater management and oversight.”
You should maybe read the article before commenting.
you did not answer the question
The question was answered, if you have enough functional neurons to detect the term heavy metals and make the connection to corporations that process them.
One has to wonder what percentage of the elevated bacterial levels is attributable to the homeless encampments.
It’s not insignificant, but I doubt it’s anything close to that of the Marborg.
Yet another reason we need to house as much of the homeless population as possible. Ignoring their needs only contributes to these encampments which pollute and create fire hazards.