Pollutants Found in Bolsa Chica Wetlands Area

Although a new environmental study released Tuesday has turned up evidence of metals and other pollutants in the Bolsa Chica wetlands area, officials said the findings do not rule out a state purchase of the wetlands.

But they warn that two substantial hurdles remain before a public purchase is assured: who will pay for cleanup and whether enough money can be mustered to finance buying and restoring the 880-acre wetlands area next to Huntington Beach.

Hanging in the balance is a deal that could help resolve one of Orange County’s most vociferous environmental battles by preserving the largest unprotected coastal wetlands south of San Francisco and blocking the construction of 900 new homes.

But with only days left before a final decision is due, no one has accepted responsibility for an estimated $5 million to $15 million in contamination cleanup, one source said Tuesday.

In addition, a $10-million funding gap remains in the funds needed for buying and restoring the wetlands.

Key talks are planned in Sacramento today and in Washington on Thursday and Friday, as state and federal officials attempt to close the deal by the Dec. 30 deadline set by landowner Koll Real Estate Group.

“The liability question remains foremost in our minds, and until that’s settled, the deal’s not complete,” said Andy McLeod, deputy resources secretary for the Wilson administration.

But Koll Senior Vice President Lucy Dunn said she is confident that the site will be cleaned up, and that talks are continuing between Koll, CalResources, which operates oil wells on the property, and Phillips Petroleum, a previous oil operator.

“Among the three parties, the site will be remediated,” said Dunn, who believes the unaccounted liability is far less than $10 million.

Federal contaminants expert Donald W. Steffeck said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the report’s findings.

While Bolsa Chica is a haven for nature lovers, it has also doubled as an oil field since the 1940s, sparking concern that oil-related contamination could prove too costly and widespread to allow the land to be restored as a public wildlife preserve.

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Central to the current talks are the findings of a $450,000 study of Bolsa Chica contamination conducted by Tetra Tech Inc. A summary was made public Tuesday in response to a request from The Times under the Freedom of Information Act.

That study produced a pile of data still being analyzed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with a final report to be released later this week.

But to date, no definite “deal-breaker” has been found in the contaminants findings, officials said. In fact, some earlier concerns were assuaged.

For instance, no major ground water contamination was pinpointed, said Steffeck, who is division chief for environmental contaminants for the western region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No oil was found floating on the ground water, although the ground water did contain some oil.

But the study also pointed up hydrocarbons and heavy metals in some portions of the wetlands. One example: findings of mercury that may have come from measuring instruments used in oil operations.

Most of the wetlands are now owned by Koll, which has drawn up controversial plans for a 3,300-home development--900 homes in the wetlands and an additional 2,400 homes on a nearby mesa.

The federal government attempted to buy the land in 1995, but efforts faltered amid fears that years of oil-field operations had polluted the property.