The claim by Pepperdine spokesperson Kelly Ray, the school’s Director of Regulatory Affairs (Letters, Sept. 14, 2000) that “. . . Pepperdine University does not participate in the illegal dumping of wastewater” is, depending upon how one chooses to read it, either disingenuous or a flat out lie.
Or, is it true?
But to accept it as truth one would have to buy into the unversity’s mind-bendingly outrageous, self-serving, self-justifying logic, which, as Ms. Ray’s letter implies, goes like this: Because the valve that illegally dumps their wastewater into Marie Canyon and other spots along Malibu Road, from where it drains into the ocean, is turned not by the school but by the County of Los Angeles, through its Malibu Mesa Wastewater Reclamation Plant, Pepperdine is not a participant.
Hello?
Further, while the permit only allows dumping under emergency conditions, the school has admitted dumping on nearly 400 days over the past four years. Moreover, Pepperdine’s “Who, me?” strategy, and patently untrue denials about dumping have been ongoing for many years, while the dumping continues on virtually a daily basis.
As a member of the board of the Malibu Road Property Owners Association, and a resident of Malibu for 27 years, I can attest to the validity of the perception currently abroad in our community that Pepperdine University and the people who run it operate on a level of arrogance and self-entitlement that make the Bourbon kings seem like timid supplicants.
A couple of recent cases in point: Several months ago, the California Coastal Commission – despite a recommendation to the contrary by the commission’s own staff – gave the school permission to move a colossal amount of earth in an environmentally sensitive area. Significantly, at least one Coastal Commission member who would have opposed the permit was not notified of the hearing, and was thus not present.
Similarly, when the original hearing to grant the dumping permit in question, the Pepperdine (pardon me – the Malibu Mesa Plant) be allowed to flush up to 200,000 gallons per day of somebody’s wastewater into the canyon along Malibu Road, was scheduled before the Regional Water Quality Control Board, neither the Malibu City Council, nor its attorney, nor anyone on Malibu Road happened to be on the mailing list to receive the notice. As a matter of fact, had this writer not accidentally learned of the hearing from David Kagon, it would have taken place, and the permit no doubt been approved, without anyone except Pepperdine and company being aware of it.
It is, for me, difficult to believe that these examples just happened that way, that they were not choreographed by Pepperdine via influence the school is able to purchase. And when coupled with the fact that at the time of Malibu becoming a city, Pepperdine opted out, choosing to remain in the county’s jurisdiction, they lend I believe, a certain credence to the ongoing skepticism with which the community regards the school.
While admittedly, my career as a Hollywood screen-and-TV writer/producer has made me – as it would anyone – a bit paranoid, I really don’t think my impressions of where Pepperdine is coming from are delusional. Do you?
Thomas B. Sawyer
Editor’s Note:There were other letters of the same opinion relating to the Pepperdine/Marie Canyon issue but space limitations prevented us from running them all.