HUNTINGTON BEACH : Grading Halted Near Wetlands

Grading near the sensitive Bolsa Chica wetlands stopped Monday after the California Coastal Commission informed a construction crew that the work was being done without proper permits, officials said.

The action came after commission officials on Friday witnessed crews digging in the area, said Pam Emerson, enforcement supervisor for the Coastal Commission’s South Coast district.

Commission officials left the crew a notice on Friday stating that a coastal development permit from the city of Huntington Beach was needed before the grading could continue, Emerson said.

If work resumes without proper permits, the commission could execute a “cease and desist” order that requires the workers to halt the digging. Officials are trying to determine who authorized the grading and who owns the land.

Applying for a development permit would trigger a public hearing in which residents could voice their opinions on the grading, Emerson said.