New Cleanup Begins at South Bay Beach

Sanitation workers have launched a new operation to remove bacteria from a large swath of sand in Manhattan Beach, the latest cleanup effort following a major sewage spill in January.

Crews began sanitizing the beach sand with a bleach solution Monday and hope to finish by Feb. 24, said Don Avila, assistant information officer with the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County.

The largest contaminated area -- near 21st Street -- measures about 100 yards by 200 yards.

This week’s cleanup is the latest effort to remove bacteria left by a massive Jan. 15 sewage spill, the largest in a decade in Santa Monica Bay. A series of problems led to the release of an estimated 1.7 million gallons of sewage, but crews contained most of it to the area near 21st Street.

The cleanup has encountered setbacks. After officials reopened much of the beach, tests of the sand found contamination as far as 3 feet down, forcing more beach closures until the sand could be cleansed.

U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice) and several county and local officials sharply criticized the districts for allowing the beach to reopen before the sand was tested.

Crews began work on the sand last week, but stopped after nearby residents reported a strong chlorine stench.

At the time, crews were using a solution equivalent to one capful of household bleach to a gallon of water, Avila said. But in response to residents’ concerns, district officials have further diluted the solution and are applying it with a different method, meaning that the cleanup will take twice as long to complete, Avila said.

Manhattan Beach City Manager Geoff Dolan said Tuesday that so far, this week’s cleanup has not drawn complaints.