NORTH COUNTY TIMES - January 19, 2004

Desal plant study on agenda

By Tim Mayer

The City Council on Tuesday is expected to give the OK to a separate environmental impact study of a proposed desalination plant adjacent to the Encina power plant on the shores of Agua Hedionda Lagoon.

City officials are recommending the council approve a $323,045 agreement with consultants Dudeck and Associates to carry out the study.

Desalination plant developer Poseidon Resources will pay the costs for the study, which is expected to be ready for final council approval by December, said Scott Donnell, a city associate planner. Proponents have said the plant could convert sea water into about 50 million gallons of drinking water per day and could possibly be expanded to turn out 100 million gallons per day.

Donnell said the study will focus on a variety of potential impacts, including pipeline construction, compliance of the project with the South Carlsbad Coastal Redevelopment Plan, compliance with the city's Agua Hedionda Land Use Plan and potential impacts of the concentrated brine that would be released to the ocean from the plant.

Ironically, the Carlsbad study will mean the plant is receiving double scrutiny.

The San Diego County Water Authority last year began its own environmental impact study of virtually the same project. Regional agency officials are hoping to cut a deal with Poseidon to build and operate the plant and feed the output into the agency's pipeline system.

But Donnell said the city cannot legally wait for or rely on the results of the water authority's study.

The reason, he said, is that Poseidon and the power plant owner, Cabrillo Power, have submitted applications with the city for what is known as a precise development plan for the power plant and a plan modification to allow the desalination plant.

The power plant was built by San Diego Gas & Electric in the early 1950s before a development plan was required and this will bring the plant into compliance with city regulations, Donnell said.

The applications make the city legally required to carry out the study, regardless of what the water authority is doing, he said.

"State law says we have to do certain things within a certain time, so we can't wait," Donnell said.

The council meets starting at 6 p.m. in its chambers at City Hall, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.

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