The Coastal Commission meeting took place in Oxnard on August 9-10. On Wednesday morning Commissioners and the public discussed the U.S.- Mexico border pollution crisis and the need for emergency action, discussed further below. The Commission adopted a new Sustainability Principles report as a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the coastal zone. The Commission also offered an enforcement report and approved the Manhattan Beach LCP Update for coastal hazards - which resulted in a vote chart. During general public comment, several spoke to the recent Oceano Dunes litigation, which the Commission decided to appeal, as well as the beach erosion in San Clemente and OCTA’s coastal armoring project. Check out ActCoastal partner testimony on the OCTA coastal armoring here.

On Wednesday, the Coastal Commission discussed the U.S.-Mexico border pollution emergency. Commissioner and Imperial Beach Mayor, Paloma Aguirre led the discussion, thanking Governor Newson for his recent call for additional federal funding, and highlighted the need to recognize the situation as an emergency. The Commission agreed that the Governor's action is an important first step and that more needs to be done. They expressed a commitment to continued action and advocacy. Check out the full discussion from Commissioners on our Youtube channel.

The public urged the Coastal Commission to prioritize this issue and request further action from Governor Newsom and President Biden to address the pollution crisis as quickly as possible so that residents and visitors no longer have to choose between enjoying the beach and getting sick. Many, including Surfrider Foundation, are calling for an Emergency Declaration at all levels of government. Check out Surfrider testimony, here.