Supes Certify AC34 EIR

More than 100 people — probably closer to 200 — showed up at City Hall yesterday for a Board of Supervisors meeting to determine the fate of the America’s Cup Environmental Impact Report, which was unanimously accepted by the Planning Commission last month. Environmental and community groups filed two appeals saying the EIR didn’t go far enough in preventing air, water and, of all things, sound pollution.

Possibly the most vocal group represented at the meeting were swimmers who objected to a 40-by-22-foot JumboTron that the Event Authority had planned to anchor in the middle of Aquatic Park. "Swimmers, who appeared to outnumber sailors, were concerned that the placement of the concrete anchoring blocks might stir up sediment," says Latitude Associate Publisher John Arndt. "While this certainly could happen, you have to wonder how it would compare to the three days of rain we just had washing millions of gallons of polluted water off city streets and into the Bay." In the spirit of cooperation, the Event Authority readily agreed to relocate the JumboTron to a shoreside location, and with that ensured the unanimous denial of the appeals.

"The sailors who showed up — Paul Kaplan, John Platt, Kame Richards, John Super, Paul Oliva and Peter Stoneberg, among many others — helped highlight the benefits of the event, and painted a clear picture of what an awesome spectacle the America’s Cup will be," notes Arndt.