>> >>PEGGY: PELICAN SEAGULLS AND OTHER COASTAL BIRDS HAVE TURNED THE SAND CURLED BLUFFS ABOVE
THE LA JOLLA COVE INTO A CHALKY WHITE COATED SEWER OF SORTS COMPLETE WITH THE STRONG STENCH
OF BIRD DROPPINGS SAID FOO HOVER OVER THE AREA UP TO A MILE AWAY.
AS MY GUEST VOICE OF SAN DIEGO REPORTER LISA HALVERSTADT FOUND OUT, CLEARING THE AIR IS
NOT REALLY AN EASY TASK.
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: IT REALLY ISN'T.
>> >>PEGGY: THANKS FOR JOINING ME.
ANYONE WHO'S BEEN TO LA JOLLA COVE KNOW IT'S EASIER ON THE EYES THAN IT IS ON THE NOSE.
WHY DOES THE SMELL SEEM TO BE SO MUCH WORSE THIS YEAR?
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: WHAT'S HAPPENED IS WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF RAIN.
SO THE BIRD POOP HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO BUILD.
BUT WHAT'S BEEN BUILDING FOR YEARS IS THAT PREVIOUSLY THIS AREA WAS FENCED OFF, NOW IT'S
NOT.
NOW THE BIRDS AND OTHER THINGS CAN JUST ROOST.
>> >>PEGGY: WHY WAS IT YOU KNOW, WE SEE PEOPLE HOLDING THEIR NOSE, WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME
OF THE BIRDS, AND DEFINITELY THEIR WHITE LEFT OVERS THAT THEY LEAVE BEHIND.
WHY WAS IT FENCED OFF IN THE FIRST PLACE?
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: IT WAS PREVIOUSLY FENCED OFF BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF ACCIDENT THAT
HAPPENED.
NO ONE SEEMS TO REMEMBER ALL THE DETAILS, THE RESULT WAS WE CAN'T WALK AROUND THAT AREA
ANYMORE.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU TALKED WITH SEVERAL LOCAL BUSINESSES.
HOW MANY CUSTOMERS ARE THEY SAYING THEY MIGHT BE LOSING BECAUSE OF THIS?
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: THEY SEEM TO THINK IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
IT'S VERY HARD TO PUT AN EXACT NUMBER O ON IT BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO GAUGE THE NUMBER OF
PEOPLE THAT JUST DON'T WALK IN BECAUSE THEY DECIDE I JUST CAN'T HANDLE THIS SMELL.
BUT ONE RESTAURANT OWNER THOUGHT THAT MAYBE HE'S LOSING 20 TO 30 PEOPLE A DAY WHO JUST
DON'T EVEN WALK IN.
>> >>PEGGY: IN YOUR ARTICLE, YOU SAID PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAY I CAN'T TAKE THIS, I'M LEAVING.
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: I'VE ACTUALLY BEEN SITTING IN A RESTAURANT AND HEARD A DISCUSSION
ABOUT CAN WE HANDLE THE SMELL TODAY.
>> >>PEGGY: WELL, BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, LET'S TALK ABOUT SMELL.
BECAUSE TELL US A LITTLE BACK STORY.
HOW'D YOU COME ABOUT THIS STORY, ESPECIALLY WITH YOURÊ YOU HAVE A UNIQUE ANGLE ON THIS.
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: YES, I DO.
I WAS DRAWN TO IT, BUT I DO NOT HAVE A SENSE OF SMELL.
WHICH MADE THE REPORTING PROCESS PRETTY INTERESTING.
NEARLY EVERYONE I TALKED TO KIND OF CHUCKLED WHEN I TOLD THEM ABOUT MY DISABILITY.
BUT I ASKED THEM A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SMELL AND MY BOYFRIEND WAS ACTUALLY NICE
ENOUGH TO GO TO THE COVE WITH ME ONE DAY AND I QUIZZED HIM FOR A GOOD TWENTY MINUTES ABOUT
THE SMELL.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU BORROWED HIS NOSE FOR THE STORY.
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: YES Y DID.
>> >>PEGGY: ARE THERE ANY HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SORT OF AMMONIA AND VERY STRONG
SMELL?
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: IT'S HARD TO SAY.
THE FOLKS THAT I TALKED TO SAID THE DEGREE OF THE STENCH AND JUST HOW MUCH IT'S PERMEATING
THE AIR WOULD HAVE TO BE PRETTY HIGH FOR THERE TO BE A DIRECT HEALTH RISK, BUT NOBODY'S TESTED
THIS AIR.
IN FACT, THE CITY'S HAD SOME TROUBLE FINDING SOMEONE TO DO IT.
>> >>PEGGY: WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.
THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION SEEMS VERY SIMPLE, GET A PRESSURE HOSE OUT THERE, WASH DOWN THE BLUFFS
AND CALL IT A DAY.
HOW COME THAT'S NOT HAPPENING?
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE REGULATORY AGENCIES WHO WOULD WANT TO
SIGN OFF BEFORE ANYTHING LIKE THAT WERE TO HAPPEN.
WE ALSO NEED TO NOTE THAT THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION IS REALLY WATCHING CLOSELY WHEN
ANYTHING IS HAPPENING IN A COASTAL AREA.
>> >>PEGGY: AND ESPECIALLY HERE BECAUSE THIS ISÊ THAT AREA IS ONE OF 34 VERY SPECIALLY
PROTECTEDÊ >> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: VERY PROTECTED AREAS.
EVEN THOUGH THE POOP IS CONSIDERED NATURAL TO YOU AND ME, ONCE IT FLOWS INTO THE OCEAN,
IT'S CONSIDERED A POLLUTANT.
SO PERMITS ARE REQUIRED IF THERE'S EVEN A REMOTE CHANCE THAT THAT FECES COULD END UP
IN THE WATER.
>> >>PEGGY: HOW LONG WOULD IT TAKE, YOU SAID THREE REGULATORY COMMISSIONS, HOW LONG WOULD
IT TAKE TO GET PERMIT TO CLEAN IT OFF?
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: IT SOUNDS LIKE JUST AN INITIAL PERMIT COULD TAKE AS LONG AS TWO
YEARS, MAYBE LONGER EVEN.
BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED HIGH PRIORITY, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT AN EXTREME
AMOUNT OF POLLUTION HERE.
>> >>PEGGY: SHERRI LIGHTNER, COUNCILWOMAN, SHE APPEALED TO THE GOVERNOR FOR STATE HELP.
HOW IS THAT GOING, HOW LIKELY IS IT TO SUCCEED?
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: WE HAVEN'T HEARD YET.
CERTAINLY THE GOVERNOR AND SHERRI LIGHTNER WERE QUITE BUSY AROUND ELECTION SEASON.
C KNOW THAT LATER ON THIS MONTH OUR AT LEAST PLANS TO TRY TO VOTE ON SOME SORT OF RESOLUTION
AND PUT MORE ATTENTION ON THIS ISSUE.
>> >>PEGGY: THERE'S CLEAN UP PETITION WITH 1200 SIGNATURES ON IT, BUT SOME LA JOLLANS
ARE BOTHERED BY IT OR WANT TO LEAVE IT ALONE?
>> >>LISA HALVERSTADT: I WOULD SAY THE MAJORITY WANT SOMETHING DONE.
THEY'RE HOLDING THEIR NOSES EVERY DAY.
THERE ARE SOME FOLKS WHO SAY THIS IS NATURAL, WE KNEW THIS WHEN WE MOVED HERE, THIS IS JUST
NATURE RUNNING ITS COURSE.
>> >>PEGGY: VOICE OF SAN DIEGO LISA HALVERSTADT, THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH US IT.