Sewage spill not company’s first

Angelique Flores

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- A private business in Bolsa Business Park that caused

a sewage spill in Huntington Harbour two weeks ago has caused two other

spills in the past.

Previous spills at the business park occurred in 1987 and 1997.

The recent leak of more than 1,000 gallons of raw sewage into the harbor

caused the closure of Peters Landing, Sunset Aquatic, Portofino Cove and

Mothers Beach on Nov. 30. The leak began with a clog in a sewage pipe,

which caused it to overflow into a storm drain that empties into the

harbor.

After bacteria samples were found to be in compliance with the standards,

the areas were reopened for swimming and water sports Tuesday afternoon,

said Monica Mazur, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency.

The city has charged $586.67 to the owner of Bolsa Business Park for the

cleanup and damages, said Rich Barnard, deputy administrator for the

city. Barnard did not know the name of the person being billed.

If the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board finds that the

sewage leaks were due to the property owner’s negligence, the owner could

be fined, Mazur said.