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Coastal Development Permit Application Submitted for Power Plant Removal

Monday, 07 November 2011
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

Plans for removing the above-ground structures of the South Bay Power Plant took another step forward last week, when Dynegy South Bay officially filed its Coastal Development Permit application with the California Coastal Commission.

The application was filed on November 3 for the demolition of the above-ground structures. The Coastal Development Permit is the first step in removing the 50-year-old power plant from the waterfront of the City of Chula Vista.

On October 25, the Port and Dynegy South Bay signed an agreement that calls for a two-step process of dismantling the power plant. It includes removal of the above-ground structures followed by a removal of subsurface structures and in-water structures.

•  Letter from Dynegy to Port 10-25-11 (6.74 MB)

At the November 1, 2011 City of Chula Vista City Council meeting, Port District staff gave a presentation explaining the settlement agreement with Dynegy South Bay. A team including Commissioner Ann Moore, Port Attorney Duane E. Bennett, California Environmental Quality Act Attorney Margaret Sohagi, bankruptcy attorney Victor Vilaplana and Deputy Port Attorney Celia Brewer spoke in detail about various elements of the agreement and answered questions posed by City Council members.

The City Council was presented with a Frequently Asked Questions sheet, which answered questions regarding Dynegy South Bay's settlement agreement, its contractual obligations, the benefits of the settlement agreement, the remediation of the power plant and other questions.

•  South Bay Power Plant FAQs (68.49 kB)
•  South Bay Power Plant Presentation (5.12 MB)

Now that Dynegy South Bay has filed for its Coastal Development Permit application with the California Coastal Commission for removal of the above-ground structures, the next step is to go before the California Coastal Commission for its approval. Once a Coastal Development Permit has been issued, then Dynegy South Bay may file a demolition permit with the City of Chula Vista for the above-ground structures.

Demolition and remediation of the plant's site is a multi-agency collaboration. Along with the Port and the City of Chula Vista, the California Coastal Commission, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District, Cal-OSHA, San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and the California Department of Fish & Game are also part of the permitting process.