Tweet

Important Updates to be Heard on South Bay Power Plant Project

Friday, 09 December 2011
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

Important updates on the status of the South Bay Power Plant demolition and remediation project will be presented to the Board of Port Commissioners at its Tuesday, Dec. 13 meeting. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. in the Port's Administration Building Board Room, located at 3165 Pacific Highway, San Diego.

The presentation is expected to be one of the first items to be heard.

On October 26, the Port announced that it had come to an agreement with Dynegy South Bay, Inc., on the demolition and remediation of the South Bay Power Plant. The agreement states that Dynegy South Bay will approach the project as a two-step process, focusing on removing the above-ground structures first.

By approaching the project in two phases, the visual blight of the above-ground structures will be removed from the Chula Vista waterfront quicker than if removal of both above and below grade structures were pursued in a single phase.

Since the agreement was signed, Dynegy South Bay has moved forward with pursuing its Coastal Development Permit to begin dismantling the above-ground structure. On November 3, it submitted a Coastal Development Permit application to the California Coastal Commission. The Coastal Development Permit is a precursor to the City of Chula Vista issuing a demolition permit for the above-ground structures.

In addition to the project update, the Board of Port Commissioners will be asked by Port staff to approve a resolution that would authorize an agreement with Tetra Tech, Inc., a national firm with a San Diego office that specializes in remediation services worldwide. The agreement with Tetra Tech, Inc. is for an in-depth environmental analysis to determine if there is any contamination on the South Bay Power Plant site.

In August, Dynegy began asbestos abatement at the plant, located at 990 Bay Boulevard in Chula Vista. Tenting is currently covering the plant's structures as the asbestos abatement is expected to continue through May of 2012.

Demolition and remediation of the plant's site is a multi-agency collaboration. The Port, 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 Fish & Game and the California Department of Toxic Substance Control are also part of the permitting process.

The Port was created by the state legislature in 1962. Since then, it has invested $1.7 billion in public improvements in its five member cities – Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego.

The Port oversees two maritime cargo terminals, two cruise ship terminals, 17 public parks, the Harbor Police Department and the leases of more than 600 tenant and sub tenant businesses around San Diego Bay.