CA: Where environmental laws protect bird poop

April 9, 2013

By Chris Reed

La Jolla is on the short list of the swankiest, most upscale places in the United States. But now a few blocks of the tony San Diego community are on the short list of the stinkiest, too, because of environmental laws that protect guano. This is from an AP report Monday:

“SAN DIEGO (AP) — La Jolla’s jagged coastline is strictly protected by environmental laws to ensure the San Diego community remains the kind of seaside jewel that has attracted swanky restaurants, top-flight hotels and some of the nation’s rich and famous, including billionaire businessman Irwin Jacobs and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

“Tourists flock to the place. So do birds. Lots of birds. And with those birds comes lots of poop.

“So rather than gasping in amazement at the beautiful views, some are holding their noses from the stench coming from the droppings that cake coastal rocks and outcroppings near its business district. …

On a recent afternoon, tourists on spring break walked along the sea wall. Some scrunched up their faces in disgust.

“‘It smells like something dead,’ said Meghan Brummett as she looked at the birds with her husband and children. The family was visiting from Brawley, a farming town two hours east of San Diego. …

“La Jolla is a state-designated area of ‘special biological significance.’ That means California strictly regulates its waters to protect its abundant marine life, which also attracts birds. …

“In La Jolla, the birds took over the rocks after the city prohibited people from walking there years ago for safety reasons. There has been little rain to wash away the feces. …

“Any cleaning method will require a permit, city officials say. The area is regulated by several government agencies. Washing it with a non-toxic solution would cause concern because of the run off into the ocean, state officials say. Even using just water could cause problems since guano discharged into the ocean in high concentrations would be considered a pollutant.”

The stench problem is about five months old, with no progress made on any front in getting it fixed. You can scarcely make this stuff up, it’s so insane. If only state authorities cared as much about protecting jobs as they do bird poop.