The Long Beach Planning Commission unanimously decided Thursday night that no involved environmental review would be needed to dismantle and remove large container tanks near Los Cerritos Wetlands.
The city's Development Services staff sought a limited environmental review, known as a Mitigated Negative Declaration, which would not require a costly and time-consuming environmental impact review.
Environmentalists and homeowners, however, pushed for an EIR, contending that contaminants might pose a danger to residents, school children and wetlands' wildlife.
The property, at 400 Studebaker Road, is owned by Tom Dean , of Studebaker LB, LLC. It was once earmarked for a Home Depot design center, but two legal challenges derailed the plans - after a judge agreed that the EIR was flawed.
The city staff initially sought the Mitigated Negative Declaration in February. However, after environmntalists raised the health issues and potential dangers to the wildlife, the commission sought a certified work plan on the project, along with a review of potential impacts on a pipeline system at the site, and more details on the site's subsoil.
The certified work plan would be provided by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Activists contend that the tanks have a long history of storing toxic substances and that the soil could also be highly contaminated.
The site contains six above-ground storage tanks , conveyance pipelines and containment berms, according to a city staff report.
In response to pressing concerns, the consultants for the project Thursday night said that dust generated by the work would be watered down and heavily monitored. If controls could not be maintained, due to windy weather, work would be discontinued for that day, the consultants said.
Joe Segura, a mild-mannered reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, has covered Gotham City, er Long Beach, for 34 years. During his very, very long -- endless -- tenure, he's covered almost every beat, and he was the main writer for BeachWeek, which focused on life and lifestyles of the shoreline communities from downtown Long Beach to the Huntington Beach pier.
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