State Parks isn't cooperating 

State Parks has no intention of solving the public health, environmental injustice, and habitat conservation problems it causes on the Mesa, in Oceano, and on the dunes. Here are the latest two instances illustrating State Parks' defiance of both our county's and the California Coastal Commission's authority. A public workshop by the Air Pollution Control District (APCD) on the abatement order scheduled for Oct. 1 at the South County Regional Center was canceled because State Parks failed to submit the required work plan. Fortunately, the APCD board directed the APCD officer to summon the hearing board to review State Parks' efforts (or non-efforts) to meet the requirements of the order. Hopefully, the hearing board will take action.

Furthermore, the devices meant to collect the sand at the Pier Avenue exit to mitigate for the 45.2 tons of sand that vehicles exiting the park carry onto public streets were supposed to be installed in June 2019. Instead, parks installed two temporary track-out mats. Now, the estimated date for installation of the permanent structures is 2021. State Parks sweeps Grand and Pier avenues five times per week; a private firm sweeps Pier Avenue two days a week; the county sweeps once a week. All that sand should remain on the beach, where driving should be prohibited.

State Parks' continuing unwillingness to obey the law is unacceptable. SLO County and the Coastal Commission have tolerated and fostered Parks' noncompliance for too long.

Lucia Caslinuovo

Oceano