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.
