A sewage spill has forced officials to close down a one-mile stretch of beach near Ballona Creek today, and the beach will remain off-limits to surfers and swimmers until at least late Thursday afternoon. more ›

Cargill has announced a new recall affecting 185,000 pounds of their ground turkey following increased concerns about salmonella contamination. The recall affects three kinds of ground turkey products: Fresh Ground Turkey Chubs, Fresh Ground Turkey Trays, and Fresh Ground Turkey Patties. Those items are packaged and sold under the Honeysuckle White and Kroger labels. more ›

Health officials have confirmed the presence of Legionella bacteria at a water source at Hugh Hefner's Holmby Hills Playboy Mansion during their investigation of a suspected Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that affected visitors attending a convention fundraiser in February. more ›

The heavy rains pounding the hillsides and concrete of Los Angeles has a very specific trickle-down effect when it comes to the Pacific. Called "urban runoff," the rush of water spewing into the ocean from storm drains puts beach-goers at risk because of high bacteria levels. Not that you were likely planning to take a dip down at the beach this week, but, just in case: "A Rain Advisory has been declared for all Los Angeles County beaches. The advisory will be in effect until 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 23." more ›

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has just released their 20th annual beachwater quality report, which shows that there were 2,904 "beach days"* last year when California's beaches were either closed or under advisory due to water pollution. more ›

There is some bittersweet news about L.A.'s local beaches. According to the latest report card from Heal the Bay, things are improving, but beaches in L.A. County continue to exhibit some of the lowest grades in the state. Based on routine monitoring of beaches where "water samples are analyzed for bacteria that indicate pollution from numerous sources, including fecal waste," the annual report card shows that 79% of the 86 beaches in the county earned A or B grades during dry weather. more ›

Because rain continued to drop today, the Los Angeles County Department of Health extended an advisory that warned beach goers to stay away from swimming near discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers. That's because "bacteria, debris, trash, and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas are likely to enter ocean waters though these outlets," they said. more ›

A sewage spill last night prompted the closure of three beaches in Long Beach today. Failed circuit breakers in a private pump station caused approximately 1,000 gallons to discharge last night around 10:30 p.m. into the storm drain system near the Bixby Terrace Area leading to the Los Cerritos Channel where Mother's Beach, Marine Stadium and Colorado Lagoon are located. The beaches will remain closed until the city's Health Department and Officer deem the water bacteria levels within state standards. All water contact activity will be prohibited in the area. more ›

In what has to be one of the grossest holiday-themed articles published this year on the LA Times (whose online content may or may not be controlled by gnomes) comes the breakdown of bacteria, as it can perhaps be found on the buffet table of your next holiday gathering. more ›

A weekly test on Tuesday by officials in Downey resulted in a bacteria hit--coliform bacteria--prompting them to alert residents yesterday early evening (why it took so long, we do not know). The boil-water order could last three days as the city hyperchlorinates the water and lines where the bacteria was found and flushed. more ›

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New state-set limits on the bacteria found in raw milk products might impact the ability of suppliers to provide consumers with products next month. Officials emphasize that the ban would not ban raw milk and products derived from it, but that the new standards are "necessary for consumer safety," the Daily news reports. The article explains:

The new standard, part of AB 1735, takes effect in January, setting a limit of no more than 10 coliforms per milliliter. more ›