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SAN DIEGO (AP) - San Diego's La Jolla Cove stinks, and the culprit is sea lion poop.
A lawsuit filed last week by La Valencia Hotel and George's at the Cove says the stench is driving away customers and poses a health risk. Their lawsuit, filed in San Diego County Superior Court, argues that the city hasn't done enough to deal with the problem.
Restaurant owner George Hauer told U-T San Diego ( http://bit.ly/1ctAolX) that the city has assured him for two years that it was going to deal with the problem but hasn't come up with any solid plan.
We consider this to be a potential health hazard and a serious public nuisance, and we have faced the resulting financial hardships for too long," he said. "We've run out of patience."
The city can't comment specifically about the lawsuit, said Alex Roth, a spokesman for interim Mayor Todd Gloria.
"We are well aware this is a problem impacting businesses and quality of life in La Jolla," Roth said. "We are actively working toward a solution. No options are off the table."
Last year, businesses in the same area complained that guano from pelicans, gulls and other birds was raising a stink. The city eventually hired a company to spray a bacterial solution to dissolve the waste.
However, federal and state laws ban harassing, capturing or killing sea lions and birds at the cove.
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Information from: U-T San Diego, http://www.utsandiego.com
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