Federal judge tasks Port of Los Angeles with cleaning up contaminated water
The Port of Los Angeles will need to clean up widespread water contamination in the city's harbor by shoring up sewage treatment operations, according to a settlement approved by a federal judge.
The settlement was the result of a lawsuit filed by the organization Environment California last summer accusing the port of violating the Clean Water Act by unleashing toxic pollutants into the San Pedro Bay.
The group maintained that the port had conducted more than 2,000 illegal wastewater discharges in the previous five years alone — release that routine surpassed limits on fecal bacteria, copper and other contaminants.
'Californians count on having a clean, vibrant coastline, but that's not compatible with contaminated effluent that can lap up on our world-renowned shores,' Laura Deehan, Environment California's state director, said in a statement on Wednesday.
The settlement approved on Tuesday tasks the port with improving its management and treatment of stormwater and groundwater, through provisions requiring the elimination of fecal bacteria from the groundwater. The document also calls for the redirection of groundwater contaminated with toxic pollutants to the Terminal Island Water Reclamation Plant, so that the water can be cleaned for beneficial reuse.
Lewis DeHope, counsel for Environment California and a staff attorney for the National Environmental Law Center, explained that the agreement 'promises to finally put an end to the Port's long-standing violations that have plagued the harbor for years.'
'Bacteria and copper are out; effective treatment is in,' DeHope said.
Also included in the settlement are specific metrics to assess the port's performance, with compliance failures resulting in automatic fines.
The port also needs to pay $1.3 million to the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment to finance restoration projects in the Los Angeles Harbor and the San Pedro Bay. Most of those funds will be allocated to a multi-year initiative to remove trash from the area, according to the settlement.
'This settlement has a double benefit for the harbor,' Deehan said, noting that the trash removal will 'go a long way toward ensuring cleaner, better days in the harbor's future.'
The judge also approved a $130,000 civil penalty, which the port must pay to the U.S. Treasury.
'This settlement is a great step toward a cleaner, safer San Pedro Bay,' Deehan added. 'It demonstrates the vital role that citizen lawsuits play in the enforcement of our federal environmental laws.'
In response to the agreement, a spokesperson for the Port of Los Angeles declined to provide comment 'beyond what's in the settlement.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Federal judge tasks Port of Los Angeles with cleaning up contaminated water
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