Chlorine may have spilled into creek

Susan McCormack

CRYSTAL COVE -- Officials from several regulatory agencies are studying

the possibility that an Irvine Co. contractor accidentally spilled an

unknown amount of chlorine into Los Trancos Creek, which leads into

Crystal Cove State Park.

“We don’t know how high the chlorine levels were, if there was any there

at all,” said Larry Honeybourne, water quality program chief with the

Orange County Health Department.

Irvine Co. officials also said they don’t know if anything really

happened.

“We’ve received complaints and are looking into it,” said company

spokesman Paul Kranhold.

The agencies were alerted to the situation Monday, after residents and

visitors complained about a chlorine-like odor coming from runoff flowing

through Los Trancos Creek. The runoff reportedly had been flowing for

about five hours.

“The flow was so great, it filled both sides of the creek,” said Mary

Blake, founder of Alliance to Rescue Crystal Cove, which is working to

prevent upstream development runoff from flowing into the pristine area.

“It reeked so badly you could stand 20 yards away and smell it. It burned

your eyes if you got closer.”

Blake said she was ill-equipped to collect a specimen of the allegedly

chlorine-ridden water.

The alliance has been concerned that nearby construction of a Marriott

time-share resort and 800 homes by the Irvine Co. will increase runoff

problems at the park. Posted signs already warn beachgoers of

contaminated water.

It is standard practice to use chlorine to decontaminate new water pipes

when a new community is being constructed. Therefore, while officials

concede that chlorine was in the vicinity, they said they do not yet know

whether the chemical exceeded an acceptable level or whether it was

properly disposed of after it was used to clean the pipes.

The state Department of Fish and Game, the Orange County Health

Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard examined the area Monday and will be

conducting an investigation to confirm the source of the runoff and if it

was contaminated.

Mark Stephens, chief petty officer with the Coast Guard, said his group

did not witness any indications of unusual chemicals in the runoff or

surrounding area and said the runoff might have been illegally dumped

water from a swimming pool.

Honeybourne said officials from his agency also did not see anything

suspicious.

“No odor was detected,” he said. “But, chlorine dissipates very quickly.”

Dennis Kelly, professor of marine science at OCC, said chlorine can be

deadly to sea life, including sea anemones, limpets, marine crabs, algae

and seaweed.

Kelly said once the chlorine reaches the ocean, it becomes diluted and is

“pretty harmless.” It is during the trek the flow makes from the creek,

across the beach and to the ocean when the chemical can do the most

damage.

And, he said, it takes very little chlorine to kill.

“It’s very toxic stuff,” he said.