We recently caught up with Stefanie Sekich of Surfrider Foundation about the Foundation’s efforts to Save Trestles Forever.
On Friday, April 19, the Foundation’s Save Trestles Blog reported that the TCA had “held a ‘Special Meeting’ to approve plans for their so-called ‘Tesoro Extension,’ the first 5 miles of the 241 Toll Road that would end up paving over a large portion of San Onofre State Beach and connect with I-5 near Trestles.”
The blog notes that “Previously we were assured multiple times that the TCA would hold public workshops and have an open comment period to take input on this project before approving. Instead, they put an agenda on their website with less than 48 hours notice, notified nobody, and then held a vote.”
We asked Stefanie to give us a few more details on future plans for the Save Trestle Forever effort.
1. What is Surfrider Foundation doing next on this issue?
We will continue to follow their plans to build the road in segments–especially as they try to obtain a permit from the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The Board will issue a decision sometime this spring/summer. In the meantime, we will follow their plans to finance the road–which isn’t looking good. If they don’t have money, they can’t build the road!
Recently the Los Angeles Times reports that the Pacific Research Institute, a conservative think tank, released a new analysis of TCA’s finances that concludes “the operations of these toll roads presently appear to be unsustainable and likely have been unworkable from their inception.” The report explains that TCA’s shaky financial plans and debt structure will make its financial status worse, “likely forcing a default or another restructuring.”
Surfrider is working with our long-standing Save San Onofre Coalition and we have other tricks up our sleeves to ensure they do not build this road–the same road that was rejected by the State of CA and the Bush Administration.
We will continue to pressure the TCA and attend their Board meetings. Surfrider and NRDC recently testified before the TCA chastising them for making a rush decision to build the road in segments.
TCA says they will conduct public workshops and we plan to make sure we personally invite as many people to those workshops as possible.
2. What can industry companies do to help?
Help us spread the word. Many people think that the fight is over. Despite our best efforts to inform our members about TCA’s plans to build the road in segments, many people still don’t know the TCA is illegally trying to carve the road up into pieces.
Please circulate links to our Save Trestles page and feel free to use the image above.
3. What is the official timeframe?
They must obtain a few more clearances to build the first section of the road. While that process varies, we know the Regional Board will be deciding this spring/summer.
The work TCA needs to do for other agencies is still in the air, that is why it’s so important that we keep spreading the word, so as they try to obtain their permits they are stymied by public opinion.
