Swirling around the longterm environmental interests in the Malibu Lagoon Restoration Project over the past two years was a cacophony of shifting concerns, which included political interests, economic interests, accusations of corruption, sensationalism, misunderstood science, half-truths, nontruths, twisted-truths shouted out, often with a sprinkling of tasteless epithets, at devoted workers repairing the once highly polluted lagoon.
These few protesters claimed to represent the majority of Malibu, but most residents in Malibu have become accustomed to misrepresentation, as they’ve seen their tax dollars spent mostly on the concerns of irresponsible development planned for the heart of Malibu,which will only make worse the traffic problems that already exist and that the true majority of Malibu opposes.
The controversy stems from the opponents of the lagoon restoration project, and the question is whether or not the opponents were opposing the lagoon project to keep the sources of pollution in the lagoon covered up. Numerous underground waste discharge pipes connected to nine out of the ten houses neighboring the lagoon were removed by the project, and the muck that was under the water, which was choking the life out of the lagoon, was also removed. These few pro-development minions, whose only concern is in the center of Malibu, along with tabloid press that fueled their concocteddrama, were the instigators of a myriad of unexpected verbal abuse, well tolerated by the project proponents.
The controversy now swirls around those who opposed the uncovering of the pollution in the old lagoon. Who knew about those waste discharge pipes that at one time or another spewed waste into the lagoon water, which ended up in the surfzone at world famous Malibu Surfrider Beach, and was the opposition of the lagoon project really meant to keep those pollution sources in the lagoon covered up?
Bob Purvey