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Water Board Sued Over Desalination Approval

Two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. The suit charges the board didn't properly study how a Carlsbad desalination plant would harm

Water Board Sued Over Desalination Approval

Two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. The suit charges the board didn't properly study how a Carlsbad desalination plant would harm marine life. KPBS Reporter Ed Joyce has details.

San Diego Coastkeeper and the Surfrider Foundation filed the civil lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court.

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The lawsuit says the regional water board should have done a detailed analysis of how the desalination plant would affect marine life before conditionally approving a plan by Poseidon Resources to deal with those affects.

Gabriel Solmer with San Diego Coastkeeper says the lawsuit doesn't seek to derail the project.

But she says granting the approval sets a bad precedent.

Solmer: What we're trying to do is make sure that we do this analysis. Especially because we know that other plants like this are coming down the line, and just other coastal projects - and if we don't do what the state law requires now then we're not going to have that meaningful analysis.

She says state law requires the regional board to analyze plans to determine the best site, design, and technology before a project moves forward.

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Ed Joyce, KPBS News.