San Diego County agreed to settle a case with the State Water Resources Control Board over a project at the County Operations Center in Kearny Mesa, in which pavement was unlawfully demolished, it was announced Tuesday.
The county agreed to pay a $25,000 fine and construct three replacement projects at county expense.
The settlement stems from a $2.9 million porous pavement project at the San Diego County Operations Center that was funded through state bonds in 2003 and 2006, with the agreement that the road be maintained for at least 20 years, according to the SWRCB.
“The State Water Board provides billions of dollars in funding to help those we regulate meet their permit requirements and improve the environment,” said Darrin Polhemus, director of the SWRCB’s Division of Financial Assistance.
“The recipients of our funds generally understand their obligation to be good stewards of the people of California’s money,” he said. “Unfortunately in this instance, San Diego County did not fulfill this obligation and its contractual commitments for this project.
“Through the diligent efforts of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board inspectors and this settlement, we are making sure the people of California are getting more than what they originally paid for,” Polhemus said.
The San Diego Regional Water Board staff conducted a routine inspection in May 2013 and learned that 118,000 square feet of the project funded by state grants had been, or was, in the process of being demolished, according to the State Water Board.
During the investigation, staff determined San Diego County failed to communicate to the State Water Board that it would be unable to maintain the project. Failing to maintain a project funded by state bond funds can result in the grant recipient reimbursing the State Water Board for all funds granted, plus interest and penalties.
As part of the settlement, the county will be required to construct three replacement projects — at Edgemoor Skilled Nursing Facility in Santee, and Lindo Lake County Park and Cactus County Park, both in Lakeside — that will provide more than five times the infiltration benefits, and 20 times the water quality benefits of the original project, according to the State Water Board.
In addition, the county will also reimburse the State Water Board for staff oversight costs.
— City News Service
