Marina del Rey's waters are dangerously polluted and in need of an intense cleanup. The major culprit (but not the only one): copper-based paint, favored by boaters, that flakes off during cleanings. Because of the negative effect that copper has on marine life, boaters were asked to switch paints, but balked at the high cost of alternatives. Now the marine toxicity has advanced so far that the most viable solution is a $200-million, 10-year dredging project. (New paint was probably cheaper in hindsight.) Today the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board was discussing a plan that would require boaters to strip their toxic paint and get started on the costly dredging, according to the LA Times. They feel that those are the most effective ways to protect the ecosystem in the marina, but those who oppose the plan say that the copper alternatives aren't proven and that the dredging might kick up more copper that's been safely nestled in the bottom of the harbor for decades. Opponents also worry that they'll end up with the check for both repainting their boats and for the massive copper-removal project, perhaps forgetting that their boats did this in the first place.
· Proposed Marina del Rey copper cleanup provokes boater revolt [LAT]
· The Paint On Marina Del Rey's Boats Is Poisoning The Water [Curbed LA]
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