Conservation Committee

Chair:  Raymond Hiemstra

This joint committee representing both the Orange County Group and the Sierra Sage deals with conservation issues in the county and beyond. The committee meets at 7:00 pm on the first Monday of February, May, August and November. at the Coastkeeper's offices at 3151 Airway Ave. Suite F-110 in Costa Mesa, Ca 92626. For more information contact Raymond Hiemstra.

Next Meeting:  Tuesday August 3rd at 7:00pm (same location)

Some of the Committees Current concerns and Issues

  • Stop Poseidon's Costly and Destructive Desalination Project

    Orange County Water District to make decision the next steps for Poseidon April 30th:  Poseidon Resources is continuing their attempt to build the environmentally destructive Poseidon Huntington Beach Desalination Plant. If built, this plant will increase energy use and greenhouse gasses, degrade water quality and fish stocks and privatize part of our water supply.

    Since there's no demand for this environmentally and economically harmful way to extract water, Poseidon has not been able to find willing buyers, until now. Over the last year the Orange County Water District (OCWD) has been taking steps to consider buying the full capacity of the Poseidon Huntington Beach Desalination Plant. In 2014 they signed a confidentiality agreement regarding the project's details and conducted a flawed financial analysis of the cost of the plant, using Poseidon’s hand picked consultant team. In January 2015 the OCWD board directed staff to develop a “Term Sheet” to outline the issues to be negotiated in a Water Purchase Agreement. The term sheet was released to the public on March 13 and the OCWD board will make a decision on approving the term sheet, and moving forward with negotiating a Water Purchase Agreement with Poseidon at a special April 30 board meeting. This decision is a desperation move by Poseidon because all but one of the local cities and water suppliers in Orange County have rejected the idea of purchasing its desalinated water. And without customers they have no way to build the project.

    This move also is a key part of Poseidons strategy to gain approval from the Coastal Commission for the desalination plant. If the OCWD agreed to purchase all of the water from the plant, Poseidon can tell state authorities that the full capacity of their project has been spoken for -- greatly enhancing their chance of getting a Coastal Development Permit to build the plant.

    Plan on attending the Special Orange County Conservation Committee meeting on April 28 to learn what you can do at the April 30 OCWD meeting to stop this reckless project from moving forward!

  • Esperanza Hills
  • Marine Protected Areas