Los Angeles Department of Water and Power General Manager Ron Nichols made a big fuss over Mammoth’s Water
District hiring a public relations firm to get their water rights’ story out. Now, DWP, which has used PR firms for years, just put out a new, slick publicity video on the Owens Dry Lake. The DWP Public Affairs Director says they paid for it in-house
The some seven-minute video stars LADWP workers and a couple of citizens. Asked about the cost of the video, DWP PR Director Joe Ramallo said, “We have not separately tracked the internal costs for this.” The message of the video is LA does not want to use good water on the Owens Dry Lake dust. DWP currently has an appeal pending before the State Air Resources Board on orders to clean up 2.9 square miles more on the lake bed. According to signed agreements and laws, the Great Basin Air Pollution Control District must assess any additionally needed mitigation according to state and federal air quality standards. LA still violates air standards in some places on the lake, according to APCD.
The publicity video gives DWP credit for mitigation projects in the Owens Valley and the re-watering of the Lower Owens River. The video fails to say that lawsuits by Inyo County and its citizens led to those water projects. DWP’s video claims that the Owens Valley “looks like it did 100 years ago.” What the video does not say is that 100 years ago, the Owens Valley was lined with farmlands, orchards and crops. Today, it is lined with desert scrub.
LA’s video also says there are many sources of dust other than that generated by DWP water exports. APCD Director Ted Schade stated that the additional 2.9 square miles of dust is “absolutely, 100% from DWP” activities. Schade repeated that LA has permission to use water, gravel and vegetation. It’s up to DWP, he said, to chose the method.
In response to LA’s slick video, Ted Schade shared dustcam and youtube videos that appear far less attractive than LADWP’s shots of the Owens Dry Lake. As Schade said, the “greatest hits of dust video” can be found on Great Basin’s website.
http://www.gbuapcd.org/dustcam/video/index.htm
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPEdWat313ZXsW2HjpJZ3cA?feature=watch
You don’t have to be a DWP manager with a mid-six figure salary to see where the major sources of dust are. If the City is really committed to cleaning up their mess, they need to complete the system of dust control. Particulate levels from Owens Lake are still 10… Read more »
This is a great discussion. Both videos are remarkable but each video tells only half the story. Assigning appropriate weight to the two halves is the dilemma. LA is a benefactor in numerous ways. The City of Los Angeles is one of the largest landowners, presumably the largest employer, and… Read more »
Very necessary, we cant keep drawing the life out of other places only to keep the current lifestyle of having everything so convenient for the rich and most fortunate. That I think is the biggest issue today (our consumption and waste rate). The way we reduce consumption is stop the… Read more »
How’s it go “The greatest good for the greatest number of people”, That sounds like it should be the Republican party’s slogan, referring to the 2% that they repersent. “The greatest good for the greatest number of people” Yeah so the snobs in LA can feel entitled to be able… Read more »
That dust could be from anywhere. Nice try schade.
Mike,
How do you know the dust “could be from anywhere”?
Benett Kessler
Yeah it could be coming form anywhere in the valley now, Thanks to the water being diverted south, enclosed to pipes, concrete canals, and not to mention groundwater pumping has all added to the issue (A Lower Water Table). The issue of the whole valley south of Big Pine is… Read more »
No, the dust can’t be from anywhere. If you look at the videos closely, it is obvious the dust is coming off the (dried) lake bed. But, we rely on a technique more sophisticated than just watching the video. Our cameras are mounted very rigidly and we have mapped the… Read more »
Famous last words, “There it is…take it”. And they’ve been taking and taking ever since.