Kathy Owen

Key discussions included announcements regarding the resignation of the executive director and the delegation of responsibilities to the acting executive director, Gabor Morocz. The Board established two search task forces, Alpha and Bravo, to identify a new executive director, targeting an appointment date of January 1, 2010. The meeting also addressed reports from closed sessions concerning pilot incident reviews (M/V MORNING MERMAID, M/V KRITI JADE, and M/V XIN NING BO), litigation updates, and appointments to the Finance Committee. Further discussions covered IT infrastructure improvements, addressing an eviction notice from the Port of San Francisco, and managing water damage from a recent storm. Operational reports detailed Not Fit For Duty statuses for several Captains and updates on the new Pilot Vessel Drake. The Port Agent's report provided statistics on vessel moves and low sulfur fuel issues. The Pilot Evaluation Committee reported on the progress of eight trainees and proposed setting the Trainee Entry Exam month for May 2010, while also addressing the status of the Trainee Drug Testing Program. The Pension Committee appointed Assistant Director Nancy Bennett as the Interim Fiduciary for the San Francisco Pilots Pension Plan. New business focused on approving an amendment to the contract with Port Revel for additional manned model training classes to comply with state law requirements, requiring an expenditure not to exceed $120,000 plus travel expenses. Other topics included the status of SB 300 legislation, developing a standardized years-of-service form for pension calculation, establishing a system for tracking Form 700 filings, and reviewing the effect of CARB low sulfur fuel regulations on vessel safety.

The meeting of the California Water Quality Monitoring Council focused primarily on environmental DNA (eDNA). The council discussed the White House strategy on eDNA, the impacts of the council's Molecular Methods Workgroup, eDNA work at the Ocean Protection Council, and the SWAMP eDNA Metabarcoding Monitoring and Analysis Project. A public forum was held where concerns about plastic grass pollution were raised. Council members provided updates, including information on the Ocean Protection Council's strategic planning process, the accreditation of laboratories for microplastics testing, and studies on PFAS sources.

The State Water Resources Control Board meeting included discussions and updates on various key areas. These encompassed the Water Quality Enforcement Policy, enforcement actions referred to the Attorney General's Office, and a proposed settlement with the City of Stockton for NPDES violations. Additional topics covered the Enforcement Data Improvement Project, a DFG/Water Board Pilot Project, and the Division of Water Quality's work on an ASBS General Exception, Biodiesel Blends in Underground Storage Tanks, Composting Facilities, the GAMA Program, Landscape Irrigation General Permit, Ocean Plan Amendment, Once Through Cooling, Onsite Wastewater Regulations, Recycled Water Policy, SSO Reduction Program, Sediment Quality Objectives, Statewide Trash Policy, Storm Water Construction General Permit, Storm Water Effectiveness Assessment for MS4 Permits, Toxicity Control Provisions, and the Wetland and Riparian Area Protection Policy. Water Right Issues, Drought Activities, San Joaquin River Restoration Flows, Bay Delta Water Right Issues, and Complaints Filed against Three Water Right License Holders in the Southern Delta were also discussed.

The State Water Resources Control Board meeting included discussions and updates on various divisions and programs. The Division of Financial Assistance covered topics such as the Proposition 84 Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS) Grant Program and the Small Community Wastewater initiatives. The Cleanup and Abatement Account and Site Cleanup Program activities were reviewed, along with funding approvals for projects like the Orange County Sanitation District Groundwater Replenishment System Phase II and the City of Camarillo Water Recycling Plan of Study. The Division of Water Quality discussed the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) project, Ocean Plan Amendment, On-site Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS), and Storm Water permits. The Division of Water Rights addressed the Big Sur Instream Flow Study, Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, Merced Irrigation District Investigation Order, and Sonoma County Water Agency's request to reduce minimum instream flow requirements for the Russian River. Updates were also provided by the Office of Delta Watermaster, Office of Enforcement, and Office of Information Management and Analysis.

The board meeting included discussions on the Proposition 84 Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS) Grant Program, progress on cleanup efforts funded by the Cleanup and Abatement Account, and the financial status of the Cleanup Fund. The Division of Water Quality provided updates on the Areas of Special Biological Significance (ASBS), the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program, the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, the Once-Through Cooling (316b) Policy Amendment, On-site Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) policies, Sediment Quality Objectives, and various Storm Water permits. The Division of Water Rights discussed requests to reduce minimum instream flow requirements for the Russian River, the development of Fresno River Operations Protocols, coordination with the Department of Fish and Game, and several water transfers. The Office of Enforcement updated the board on the Mandatory Minimum Penalty (MMP) Enforcement Initiative, All Staff Enforcement Training, the Government-Owned Tanks (GOT) Enforcement Initiative, and Significant Regional Board Enforcement Activities. The Office of Information Management and Analysis presented findings from the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) and the development of Biological Objectives for California Streams. The meeting also included updates on various statewide policies and significant general permits.