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Poseidon’s long trident: Ben Hueso loves desalination so much that he let the company proposing a plant in Carlsbad write his letters

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on April 22, 2009 at 8:13 am

From San Diego City Beat:

Ben Hueso—City Council president, California Coastal Commission member and state Assembly candidate—really, really wants there to be a desalination plant in Carlsbad. Whenever he’s been asked about the prospect of Connecticut-based Poseidon Resources constructing a plant to turn seawater into potable water, he’s expressed his strong support for the project. He supports it so much that he’s even willing to let the company write salutary letters that he then sends under his own name.

Poseidon’s proposed plant would take in 304 million gallons a day of seawater and provide 50 million gallons a day of drinking water to the San Diego region. As threats of water rationing hang over the region like the storm clouds we wish would come, the company has received renewed support from elected officials—from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Sen. Chris Kehoe to the Carlsbad City Council. And Hueso.

The documents, obtained by CityBeat under California’s public-records law, show that on at least two occasions, Poseidon vice president Scott Maloni sent e-mail to Hueso’s chief of staff, Alonso Gonzalez—himself a candidate for City Council—drafts of letters Maloni wanted Hueso to send to the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Both letters emphasized Hueso’s position as a Coastal Commissioner, and both asked the water board to vote to approve the desal plant. In both cases, Hueso sent the letters unedited.

Hueso is well-placed to help the company. He’s generally supported by the environmental community. As San Diego’s City Council president, he’s one of the most influential politicians in the region. And then there’s his voting gig on the Coastal Commission, which is charged with protecting the state’s coastline and whose approval Poseidon needs to start construction.

Read more from San Diego City Beat by clicking here.

April 22, 2009 · Filed Under Poseidon's Carlsbad Plant

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