Industrialization and Coastal Environments

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/oct/12/sd-bay-cleanup-proposal-drags/?metro&zIndex=181212

"The controversy centers on roughly 60 acres of the bay floor south of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge that were tainted decades ago by heavy industry, military operations and storm water.

Lead, arsenic and potentially carcinogenic PCBs are among the toxins causing concern. Environmentalists, scientists and community activists fear the pollutants are harming the marine ecosystem and endangering the health of people who eat fish and shellfish from the bay.

The water board issued its first cleanup proposal in April 2005 and expected to vote on finalizing the order within four months. The plan focused on dredging about 885,000 cubic yards of sediment.

Six parties would have to pay for the cleanup, according to documents from the water board. They are General Dynamics NASSCO, BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, the city of San Diego, San Diego Gas & Electric Co., the Navy and the parent companies of San Diego Marine Construction Co."


1. What is the issue, controversy or event in the story? What are the basic facts?
Government intervention in the cleaning up of San Diego's bays. Cleaning up contaminated sediment in San Diego Bay would cost 96 million dollars. This is one of the largest environmental cleanups (60 acres) that has taken years to negotiate (the idea was proposed in 2005). 

2. What information is missing from the story?
Why only that one area? Why is it taking so long, is it because of cost? Is the water making people or marine life sick? Why did Coastkeeper and the Environmental Health Coalition quit the mediation efforts?

"King said the negotiations have stretched on because there are many parties involved. He hopes mediation will end up saving time by producing an agreement the board can adopt with few objections.
'This hasn't been foot-dragging. This is just a monster chore,' King said."

Stretched how? When they say "many parties", do they mean the six involved or more?

3. What would be your next steps if you were creating a follow up to this story?
Finding out what the negotiations were and what was finalized, how the bay will be cleaned up, how much it will cost, who will do it, and how the public will respond to it and if they'll support it. Maybe interviewing those people.