The waters of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as well as the San Pedro Bay have enormous economic, recreational and habitat value. In order to help protect these waterbodies, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region (Regional Board) has developed a total maximum daily load (TMDL) to attain the water quality standards. This TMDL became effecting on March 23, 2012 and established milestones public agencies discharging into the Greater harbor area must meet.
One of these milestones was to begin a comprehensive monitoring program. In April 2015, a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) was made and entered into by and between the GWMA and the cities of Bellflower, Lakewood, Long Beach, Paramount, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Signal Hill, and Los Angeles, acting by and through its Board of harbor Commissioners, the County of Los Angeles, the Port of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Flood Control District (“District”) for administration and cost sharing to prepare and implement a coordinated compliance monitoring and reporting plan. Annual Reports are being submitted to the Regional Board. This MOU is in effect for a 5-year period.