The California Regional Water Quality Control Board has ordered that North County Transit District demonstrate plans for controlling pollution along the new Sprinter passenger train line.

The board's San Diego region has issued a "cleanup and abatement order" aimed at preventing stream-fouling pollutants originating along the 22-mile track. If the district is unable to stop the pollution immediately or illustrate plans for addressing the problem by Jan. 31, it may face fines or legal action under the order.

In December 2007, the transit district agreed to pay a $160,000 fine for falsifying inspection reports and failing to prevent runoff between the Oceanside and Escondido stretch of track. One violation was cited in October and another two in November. Violations included unfiltered silt reaching storm drains and, thus, local water bodies.

"They continue to have violations," said Chiara Clemente, a senior environmental scientist with the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Sprinter Construction Project Manager Don Bullock said he has planned meetings with a district team and regional board representatives to devise a plan of action. "By no means are we ignoring this issue," he said. "We're confident we can come to a mutual understanding on how to address [the problems]."

"The issue really that makes it difficult is when you have a project that's 22 miles [long]... each time you make a change to earthen forms, you have to go back and redesign and reimplement control measures," Bullock added. "Over that long a corridor, it's a monumental effort. That's not an excuse, that's just reality."

Source: San Diego Union-Tribune