OOG- let's save the world!
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Our mission at OOG is to educate the citizens and their elected and appointed officials about the impact human activities have on the ocean, both industrial and recreational. There are simple rules to follow in order to lessen those impacts: We must stop removing the last, large breeding stock from the ocean, stop using the sea as a cheap dumping ground for the detritus of society, consider the effect our sound is having on the marine environment, and adjust any of our behaviors that are changing the oceans temperature and chemical makeup. Although these changes may seem impossible, all it really takes is to change our minds.

'OOG' uses diplomacy as well as direct action, such as when we demonstrated out front of the Orange County Sanitation District 12 hours a day for 14 months resulting in their 240 MGD (million gallons a day) sewage discharge being upgraded within 11 years from filthy pathogen-laden primary to full secondary treatment required by the Clean Water Act. Our members educate themselves, attend meetings, and speak with passion and eloquence. Our one requirement for members? MUST WANT TO SAVE THE WORLD.

In 2000, after saving the California Coastal Act at now famous Little Shell Wetland in Huntington Beach, three passionate citizen-savers clasped hands in a 3-way handshake and OOG was born. We went straight after the OCSD 'waiver', and along with 300 or so of our best activist friends, beat them in 14 months. We then stopped what would have been the largest desalination plant in the western hemisphere at the AES power plant in Huntington Beach. OOG went on to stop the San Diego sewage waiver (but were overturned by then-Gov. Gray Davis), then on to stop the Morro Bay waiver, and led the charge to create 4 State Marine Reserves in California waters. OOG activist's also spearheaded a movement involving 24 groups with 28 million members worldwide who shut down the seismic testing at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. OOG members authored petitions and successful resolutions to save whales, wetlands and old growth forests, and we still feel our best work is yet to come!

In 2009, we ONCE AGAIN stopped the terrible San Diego sewage waiver, this time to be overturned by then Governor Arnold Swarzenegger. That waiver allows 330 MGD of primary sewage to be dumped into the sea off Point Loma at Cabrillo National Monument! 50 BILLION gallons each year into the surf from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant AND STILL POURING. That 5-year waiver ends soon and wiil need to be stopped again- we're gonna need you!

Please consider getting involved through direct action, charitable donation or any other way best suited to your individual style. SAVING THE WORLD IS NOT SO FAR FETCHED AS SOME WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE.

With love and respect

Joey Racano, Director
Ocean Outfall Group

Join our ongoing campaigns on facebook at:  Stop the Diablo Canyon Seismic testing  and  Stop Navy Sonar Testing

Dedicated to activists the world over- victory for the whales!

Message received from Phil Kline, Senior Oceans Campaigner, Greenpeace, USA: “What an unstoppable force captured in a photo, GP, SS, Joey - Congrats on a huge victory! Our oceans and everyone who loves them thank you all and so do I.”


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CA Coastal Commission Denies PG&E Seismic Testing Permit Great Whale Conservancy Applauds California Coastal Commission Decision!

By Gershon Cohen

On November 15th, the California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to deny a permit to Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to conduct seismic testing off the coast of California near the Diablo Canyon and San Onofre nuclear power facilities.

Both facilities were approaching relicensing deadlines, and a recently passed California law requires more analysis of the fault lines located near the remaining plant, both having been built in seismically active areas in the 1970 -1980’s.  While several options exist for conducting the sea-floor mapping analysis, PG&E proposed dragging an array of 18 air canons below the surface and emitting blasts of 250dB every 20 seconds for 42 days. 

The company’s proposal acknowledged there would be hundreds of “takes” of marine mammals during the testing procedure, which would be used to map the fault lines a few miles off-shore from the nuclear facilities.  “Takes,” as described by the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, are anything from an annoyance that alters the behavior of the animal to more serious impacts and even death.  Given the size and repetitive nature of the blasts, there was a significant chance that many whales and other marine mammals would have been killed from ruptured eardrums.  They would almost certainly have been driven from the area, which at minimum would have forced them to leave critical feeding areas as winter approaches.  It was also acknowledged by the company that there could be a serious impact on local fish stocks.

A coalition of local citizens who love and respect these magnificent animals, along with fisherman, tourism companies, and civic leaders led by an ad hoc steering group formed by Joey Racano of Avila Beach, (see the Facebook page “stop the diablo canyon seismic testing”) held numerous meetings and actions to get people to write letters and testify in person as the issue was debated by State agencies.  GWC offered to help, and in October we went to Avila Beach with Mz Blue (see photo) to help Joey and his group educate and motivate the public to get involved. 


On November 15th, the California Coastal Commission met to review the application.  With hundreds of people in the room and thousands of letters in hand, the Commission voted unanimously to deny the permit!  It was a remarkable victory over the biggest energy utility corporation in California.

Our sincere thanks to Joey Racano and his team in California and everyone else who participated in this wonderful effort.  Stay tuned to our website www.greatwhaleconservancy.org and Facebook page (greatwhaleconservancy) for updates on this issue, and many other matters of importance regarding the protection of great whales and other marine mammals around the world.

Gershon Cohen PhD
Co-Director, GWC