Omission Accomplished II: The Lack of Municipal Stormwater Enforcement in the Los Angeles Region

Despite the fact that urban runoff has been regulated in the Los Angeles region since 1990, it remains the most significant source of surface water pollution in the area. The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and the State Water Resources Control Board are responsible for protecting surface water and groundwater quality in the Los Angeles Region, including protecting the humans and ecosystems that depend on clean water. However, NRDC has found that the Regional Board is systematically failing to enforce water quality violations across the region, creating a culture of non-compliance among permittees, allowing pollution to go unabated, and jeopardizing public health and the environment. This report examines MS4-related violations that took place from December 2012 through October 2017 and MS4-related enforcement actions that took place between June 1990 and March 2018.

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