Colorado Lagoon
9:30pm | The final cleanup phase of the Colorado Lagoon restoration project will soon commence after the State Water Resources Board approved on Tuesday $3.3 million to fund the necessary improvements.
The funding is originating from the SWB’s Clean Up and Abatement Account and will be used to rid the lagoon of about 55,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment. The lagoon will be dredged and the hazardous material collected will be treated and disposed, according to information provided by Long Beach City Hall.
Work on the project is set to begin in October, city officials said.
The $3.3 million is in addition to a $1.8 million grant previously awarded to the city through the SWB’s Clean Up and Abatement Account.
City Hall spokesman Ed Kamlan said that the SWB approved the additional funding on the condition that the city meet the schedule of disposal at the Port of Long Beach. The city had originally proposed to transport the treated waste to the Kettleman City landfill, but that plan would have come with more hefty price tag.
The dredged sediment will be treated and deposited in a confined disposal facility at the port sometime between Nov. 1 and April 30, 2012, city officials said.
“I would like to personally thank the State Water Board for this funding, which will dramatically improve the water quality at the Colorado Lagoon,” said Third District Councilman Gary DeLong, in whose district the lagoon is located, in a prepared statement. “This project has always been a very high priority for me and the rest of the Third Council District.”