Harbor Sediment Cleanup May Begin Next Month

MARINA DEL REY — While a search for a permanent solution continues, the Army Corps of Engineers is planning to begin work next month on a stopgap project to knock down layers of toxic sediment that are choking off the south entrance to Marina del Rey harbor.

Los Angeles County officials told the county’s Small Craft Harbor Commission on Wednesday that the federal agency intends to begin seeking bids for the work this week. The operation is intended to reduce the highest accumulations of sediment so that the south entrance to the marina can remain open to boaters.

After building up for years, the sediment has reached the point that only a quarter of the south entrance is still open to boating.

A project to dredge the material stalled when it was discovered that the sediment was too toxic to be dumped at an underwater site off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Tests showed that the material contains varying levels of lead, copper, zinc, chromium, nickel and other pollutants that would damage marine life.

County officials have voiced concern that if no other solution is found, the dredged sediment may have to be trucked to a toxic waste dump on land at tremendous expense to county taxpayers.

The knockdown operation is intended only as an interim measure to keep the south entrance open. The Coast Guard has warned that it may have to move its operations out of the marina if the sedimentation worsens and prevents its vessels from navigating in and out of the harbor.

The Sheriff’s Department also has said its search-and-rescue operations may be impaired if a plane crashes offshore from Los Angeles International Airport.