Residents want contaminated area of Bolsa cleaned up

Jose Paul Corona

Residents living near a toxic section of the Bolsa Chica wetlands want

to know who’s responsible for the land contamination and who’s paying for

its cleanup.

The state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control sent out 7,500

letters and surveys on June 14 about the contaminated area, said

Spokeswoman Jeanne Garcia.

The letter explained that additional soil samples will be taken on the

1.5-acre section of the 42-acre parcel known as the Fieldstone Property,

Garcia said.

The survey asked residents living near the property for their input

regarding the toxic site. The mailing is part of the community

participation program.

So far, the Department of Toxic Substances Control has received 337

responses, Garcia said. Of the surveys returned, 85% indicated a high

level of concern.

State regulators and landowner Hearthside Homes have reached a

tentative agreement regarding the site’s cleanup, Garcia said, but exact

details are not yet available.

The area is contaminated with high levels of PCBs, a cancer causing

substance found in electrical transformers and hydraulic fluid.

Although it isn’t exactly known how the site became contaminated,

evidence suggests that chemicals were illegally dumped there, Garcia

said.

Residents were asked to return the survey by Friday. Once all of the

surveys are received the Department of Toxic Substances Control will

compile a summary of the responses.

That summary, along with community outreach recommendations, will then

be given to the project manager in charge of cleaning up the site, Garcia

said.

From there a community meeting would be called to answer any questions

from residents, she added.

The date of that meeting is not yet known.