The Seal Beach ARCO gas station decontamination project has the green light.
The California Coastal Commission approved a waiver of a coastal permit on Wednesday, March 9.
The Coastal Commission deputy director for the South Coast District listed the Seal Beach project along with 14 others that did not require a coastal development permit.
The underground storage tanks at the gas station, located near the Seal Beach residential neighborhood of Bridgeport, have leaked at least twice since the 1980s.
In 2009, gasoline vapors were detected in the soil under the homes nearest the Pacific Coast Highway gas station.
Mark Persico, Seal Beach director of Development Services, said on Monday, March 14, that city staff would meet with ARCO during the week to discuss the schedule for the decontamination project.
Last year, the Orange County Health Care Agency directed ARCO/BP America to decontaminate the soil and ground water by “excavation,” a process commonly called “dig and haul.”
Excavation will require the demolition of the gas station, which was recently listed among Seal Beach’s top 25 sales tax revenue generating businesses.
In February, the Sun reported that the decontamination project had been held up by government red tape. The Coastal Commission had not, at that time, scheduled a hearing for a coastal development permit to allow the “dig and haul” work to begin.
On Friday, Feb. 11, the Orange County Health Care Agency sent the Coastal Commission a letter asking staff to expedite the permit.
In that letter, Richard Sanchez of the county health agency said the decontamination work must take place during the dry season.
Persico did not know when actual demolition would begin at the site. He speculated that demolition could begin as early as the third week of April.
He said a public meeting would be held in the near future to update the community.
