Problem #6. Beaches destroyed

In the past two years OCTA (the orange county rail authority) has dumped a 70-foot width of rip rap boulders along a stretch of south San Clemente shoreline to protect tracks caught between high surf and a sliding bluff. Today, the once popular beach is obliterated.
The agency’s 2021 Climate Study reveals its long term strategy to combat erosion and sea level rise – tons of rock, hard armoring, 5 foot walls and wave deflectors.
The problem with this plan is that it actually exacerbates erosion and devastates other stakeholders – SoCal’s vibrant tourism industry, its businesses, residents, and every person who seeks to enjoy our rapidly disappearing beaches.
These practices must stop. A single agency, even a railroad, does not have the right to unmitigated destruction of our beaches – especially in the name of shoring up a doomed line with little freight and minimal, declining ridership.
The California Coastal Commission which reluctantly approved the emergency stabilizing measure must re-analyze the claims made by OCTA that 1) the train is a critical economic asset and 2) there is a realistic long term solution to remove the tracks from the beach.

NEXT PROBLEM: #7 Not equitable