Given the county’s struggle with


air quality, offi cials are understandably concerned about scenarios residents may face with a greater amount of exposed shoreline. Between June 2010 and July 2012, the county exceeded the PM10 standard 232 times. “If nothing is done about the mitiga- tion of existing impacts then we are go- ing to have a catastrophe on our hands in terms of public health,” said Brad Poirez, Imperial County air pollution control offi cer. “If the Salton Sea continues to recede as expeditiously as it has been, then we are going to have a diffi cult time of proving to the U.S. EPA that we are going to be able to meet the standards as set forth in the timeframe under the Clean Air Act.” Imperial County would like to see a funding stream “identifi ed and secured and moving forward,” Poirez said, add- ing, “we need to have assurances there’s a secured funding stream to get what we need to have done at the Sea.”


A Starting Point for Discussions T e lack of a long-term restoration plan for the Sea has opened the way for bur-


“We have got a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and the number one is the Salton Sea. You can’t just mitigate it away.” – Tina Shields, IID


Hear more from Tina Shields


geoning agreements like the term sheet agreed to by IID and Imperial County. T e two agencies have clashed but say they are committed to ensuring a reliable water supply while working to protect air quality and the Salton Sea. IID “is cognizant that there are posi- tions/perspectives contained in this term sheet that may not be as well received outside of Imperial County, however these jointly shared concepts should be considered a starting point for ongoing discussions between IID, Imperial Coun- ty and other interested parties moving forward,” Shields said. “We have got a lot of issues that need to be addressed, and the number one is the Salton Sea. You can’t just mitigate it away.”


Th e Sea’s renewable energy potential extends to the production of algae, which is converted into biofuel and other high-value products. Above, some of the testing ponds constructed by Synthetic Genomics.


T e term sheet is the means for local agencies to address the issues of the Imperial Valley from a bottom-up approach, Shields said. “I would characterize these key terms as if locally aff ected entities were the decision-makers – this is how we’d do things,” she said. “T at being said, these concepts are our points of agreement and a basis for ongoing discussions. Right now these discussions are focused locally, and as we come to agreement and consensus as to how these things might move forward, I imagine these eff orts will be rolled out to a broader spectrum of stakeholders and agencies whose partici- pation and involvement will be necessary to make these ideas happen.”


Plugging in Renewable Energy T e Salton Sea’s location has drawn entrepreneurs looking to cash in on op- portunities for renewable energy produc- tion. With the Sea’s future in jeopardy, participants say an ample opportunity exists to address the region’s environmen- tal and economic health while boosting renewable energy output. California and the Salton Sea area


specifi cally, contain the largest amount of commercially viable geothermal generating capacity in the United States, according to the state’s Energy Commis- sion. Several facilities in the Salton Sea already produce electricity that is pur- chased by Southern California Edison. In mid-June, the city of Riverside’s public utilities division signed a contract with CalEnergy, a geothermal producer from the Salton Sea, representing one of the largest purchases of geothermal power in North America, according to Rosentrater with Riverside County. “We are hopeful there can continue to be a constructive dialogue around how renewable resource development in Imperial and Riverside counties can assist in the protection of the Sea and provide some resources in how to help with the mitigation,” White, the executive director of CEERT, told the committee.


8 • Colorado River Project • River Report • Summer 2013


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