The Orange County Health Care Agency on Tuesday ordered BP/ARCO to dig up contaminated soil under a Seal Beach gas station and haul it away, a directive that appears to end 25 years of debate over how to clean up the pollution.
“It’s a happy day,” said Mario Iacoboni, who lives in the neighborhood near the gas station and is a member of the city’s volunteer technical advisory committee.
“It’s no longer us begging them (BP/ARCO) to do things. They’ve been directed to do it.”
Last winter, three homes near the gas station at Pacific Coast Highway and Fifth Street were temporarily evacuated when fumes that originated from leaky underground storage tanks were detected in the houses.
The so-called dig and haul cleanup technique was strongly favored by Seal Beach city officials and residents of the Bridgeport neighborhood, which is separated by an alley from the gas station.
“We think it’s perfect,” said Seal Beach City Manager David Carmany. “We’re looking forward to the next step, which is getting that site cleaned up.”