Pollution, Fires Still a Problem at Beach

By Charles Talkoff

Residents of the Sunset District near Ocean Beach have been dealing with a long-standing set of concerns regarding quality-of-life issues.

Pat Maguire, a neighborhood block captain and the owner of a neighborhood coffeehouse, said one of the chief complaints residents have about the beach is pollution.

"I like a fire at the beach as well as the next person," he said, "but people are burning driftwood with creosote in it and it's toxic. After the fire party is over, the wood continues to smolder and after that we have the problem of garbage and nails being left on the beach, where it really poses a hazard; people have been injured and we need the City to address this issue."

One of Maguire's neighbors, Dave Ferguson, also has experience dealing with the problems.

"The fires are a real concern, and in recent years there's been an increase in people getting drunk and the amount of violence; but the real problem is one of jurisdiction," said Ferguson. "The local cops can't act effectively on federal land and the federal cops can't act on City land. So it's as if we're stuck in-between jurisdictions while the problem just goes on and on."

Rich Weideman, a public affairs spokesman for the Department of the Interior, acknowledged the concerns of the neighborhood and the residents of the area.

"We take it very seriously." he said, "There are a series of interconnected issues involved ranging from jurisdiction, which is frustrating for the residents, and other issues involving maintaining the beach; the tidal flow and the shifting of the sand, and funding for maintenance all make it a complex formula, but we're serious about answering people's concerns."

Asked about digging pits for bonfires, Weideman said the idea was considered but ran into the problem of the extreme shifts in the tide, which rise and fall dramatically and affects the level of the dunes.

"There's even an issue with the fact that the wall facing the beach is of historical significance," he added. "The wall was constructed a long time ago and in dealing with graffiti removal, for example, we have to follow federal guidelines to make sure we don't damage the wall."

Ferguson is understanding, up to a point, but says he's had confrontations with people on the beach who, he said, were drunk and abusive, and when he called the police for assistance he found them to be less than enthusiastic about dealing with the problem.

"We've had hundreds of volunteers come down here to help with the clean-up, but, ultimately, the city and the federal authorities will have to step up the plate on this and resolve it."

Maguire agreed and added that the threat to wildlife is serious as is the danger to children using the beach.

"Nails, fires that are still hot, broken glass, you name it, during clean-ups, we've found it," Maguire said. "One 8-year-old child was badly burned after falling into a fire that looked as if it was out, but was still hot. Add the illegal fireworks, and we've got a serious quality-of-life issue that has to be dealt with."