More Newport Harbor dredging gets underway

The latest phase of Newport Beach’s harbor dredging is underway, with giant vessels removing thousands of yards of toxic sediment from Lido Isle.

The sediment will be sent the Port of Long Beach for disposal in time to meet a June 30 deadline.

The $6.5-million undertaking launched May 2 and will focus on the Lower Bay. Sediment off West Coast Highway, the south side of Lido, the north side of Balboa Island and an area near the Coast Guard station will be hauled away.

Long Beach will use the dirt as fill to help expand its port.

The city missed an earlier removal deadline, but got a another chance when it was pushed back to June 30.

To meet the new deadline, the city has approved dredging from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with the possibility that work could go around the clock, according to the city’s website.

Material not sent to Long Beach will instead go to a federally approved disposal site 4.5 miles off Newport Beach’s coast.

—Joseph Serna

Twitter: @JosephSerna