Bolsa Chica Study Is Well Worth the Wait : Report Should Clarify Cleanup Costs for the Wetlands, Set Stage for Final Resolution

People have waited a long time for closure on the future of the Bolsa Chica wetlands, but the planned three-month study of the degree of contamination is worth the effort, especially if it leads to restoration of the sensitive area and creation there of a permanent wildlife refuge.

Last month, the state and federal governments announced the study, which is likely to cost around $200,000. The action shows that building 900 homes on the wetlands by the Koll Real Estate Group is not a certainty.

Koll did win permission from the state Coastal Commission last month to build on the wetlands and to construct another 2,400 homes on the mesa of the property, which is unincorporated county land adjacent to Huntington Beach. In return for the commission’s clearance, Koll agreed to restore some of the wetlands. But if an acceptable price can be found and that land bought from Koll, it could be spared from development. With much of California’s wetlands lost over the years, and with Bolsa Chica the prime area left in Southern California, finding an agreeable way to keep it free from development would be welcome.

A possible deal to have the federal government buy the low-lying property last year--Koll would still be able to build on the mesa--fell through because of concern about the extent of contamination by years of oil drilling on the tract. The cost of cleaning up debris left by the drilling and the question of who will pay for the cleanup remain major hurdles.

Also complicating the matter is the welter of state and federal agencies involved. These include the federal Department of the Interior and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the state Fish and Game Department operates a state ecological reserve on a small portion of the site now. The state Lands Commission has jurisdiction over tidal lands such as Bolsa Chica; Coastal Commission permission was needed because of the coastal location.

Restoration funds are available from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in exchange for expansion of those ports. Letting the ports also provide some acquisition money could result in state ownership of the wetlands, an acceptable result but yet another factor in a complex relationship.

The planned development has been controversial for decades, with many hoping for no construction at all. But the study is a welcome start toward an eventual purchase. It should let everyone know the cleanup costs. Then it will be time to decide who should pay for the cleanup and time to bargain over a selling price.