Caltrans Stimulus Paving Project in Laguna Beach Pollutes Air and Sea

"Oh, Mr. Caltrans: Thank you sir, may I have another?" or "Christmas in November: Thank You Santa Caltrans!"

(LAGUNA BEACH) - The federally funded Obama stimulus paving project by State highway agency Caltrans in Laguna Beach constitutes cruel and unusual environmental punishment.

This fiasco of this pitiful paving effort by the ironically-named All-American Asphalt has slipped into Twilight Zone mode:

(1) First, they made residents park off PCH for over a month at night while they tore up or ground down the old pavement. The enormous grinding machine noise was deafening and earth shaking, but as the temperatures were late summer elevated, closing windows wasn't really an option. They left pulverized bitumen powder, a highly carcinogenic key ingredient, all over our yards, cars, streets, sidewalks and embedded in our lungs. They did street sweep each morning, but not thoroughly and didn't clean the sidewalks at all. No side streets were swept. Cars parked legally during the day got free sandblasting due to granulated asphalt pebbles bouncing about. Moreover, PCH looked like brown fog for weeks when cars drove by, the airborne particulates causing nearby residents coughing problems. People broke out breathing masks. Bitumen is a hydrocarbon, contains sulfur and several heavy metals such as nickel, vanadium, lead, mercury, chromium and also arsenic, selenium, and other toxic elements.

(2) They didn't pave completely curb-to-curb, kind of a quilt or patchwork pattern, left numerous car-chattering dips. Why? Who knows, they're Caltrans. They don't answer phone calls from peons, they're a nation unto themselves.

(3) Right now (Monday November 2nd) they're back, jackhammering PCH in about 20-30 places here in Victoria Beach on the inland side where they apparently buried utility access, removing what they just freshly paved! Are they digging for gold? How do you spell ineptitude? Caltrans! Who knows why, but now they're going backwards, so "Happy Deadline!"

(4) When it rained a few weeks ago, all of that pulverized bitumen flushed through our storm drains onto our beaches because Caltrans didn't properly cover or place the right filter BMPs in place. That's OUR federal tax dollars polluting OUR beaches and OUR marine life. Who needs a State Marine Reserve to protect the ocean when Caltrans can extirpate ALL species, humans included? Wonder how many surfers, skimmers, divers and beach walking locals came out black?

(5) I haven't seen the asphalt top coat (slurry) crew we were warned about working 9 am to 3 pm, have you? Now we're not allowed to park during the day on PCH. So basically NO parking for months on end! This isn't rocket science, look at the guys doing it.

(6) Why is this nightmare unending, interminable, why can't these bozos in weather only interrupted by 2-3 days of rain make a simple deadline on such a heavily-trafficked commuter zone? Didn't Caltrans require a "Performance Bond," a surety bond that motivates, so that every day All-American Asphalt is past their deadline they pay compensation money or penalties back? And shouldn't we, the residents in proximity to PCH get that money for our health impacts and inconvenience?

(7) And just what mitigations, what protective measures were supposed to be in place, enforced or monitored by City Hall? Oh, I forgot, none of our Council and staff live on PCH, so it's out of sight, out of mind. Why isn't our City Manager holding them accountable, or AQMD or the Water Quality Control Board (Cal/EPA)? No one is being held liable or accountable, contrary to environmental laws.

So like Oliver Twist while being punished, or being beaten and kicked by a USMC Drill Instructor, repeat after me: "Oh, Mr. Caltrans: Thank you sir, may I have another?"

Disgusted by chronic sewage spills and toxic urban runoff pollution that triggered constant beach closures in his area, he formed “Clean Water Now!” in 1998. Local surfers, skimmers and divers were pissed off, but there wasn’t a cohesive, unified and aggressive group response, zero leadership or activism facilitated by the Surfrider Foundation or Sierra Club regarding water quality impairment issues. You can write to Roger at: rogerbutow@mac.com

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Caltrans PIO November 5, 2009 4:08 pm (Pacific time)

Caltrans has conducted extensive outreach with the residents and business community in Laguna Beach, and have worked closely with the City Council to get their input on the construction hours and sequence of paving for this project on SR-1 (Pacific Coast Highway) in Laguna Beach. The contractor has been working in compliance with the contract requirements and Caltrans has conducted regular inspections. Caltrans has not seen any evidence of the claims made in this article, and the project is proceeding well and will be completed on time. To address the issues in this article: 1. This project includes grinding and paving of lane # 2 on PCH in the city of Laguna Beach. In order to do the work, the contractor has posted "No Parking" signs at the work locations at a minimum of 24 hours prior (per City's requirement). One month prior to the commencement of construction, residents and businesses were hand-delivered notifications regarding impending lane closures. Also, per Special Provisions and the City of Laguna Beach, contractor has to work at night to minimize the impact of the traffic during the day (except for slurry seal operation). During grinding operation, the grinder has dumped the excavated materials into trucks located in front of it. The contractor has used 3 sweeper trucks to sweep the roadway while grinding, and continue sweeping until 6 AM. Sweepers also clean part of the side streets on PCH, if necessary (side streets are not State right of way). We have no information regarding chemical in the reclaimed pavement material. 2. Per Project plans, the contractor has to grind and pave lane # 2 only. Caltrans Public Information staff have handled inquiry calls from residents and businesses and all have been responded to with quality customer service. 3. No construction work took place on Monday 11/2/09. Another contractor for a utility company performed work on PCH. 4. During the work, the contractor covered all catch basins and storm drains. However, for the safety of the many bicyclists on PCH, we have had to remove some of the sand bags around catch basins and drainage inlets after cleaning up the roadway. 5. Due to a problem with materials, the slurry seal operation has been halted since 10/29/09. The project however will be completed on time per contract. 6. Per Special Provisions, the contractor would have to pay liquidated damages if they exceed the number of working days specified in the contract. 7. Regular inspections of the work locations are conducted by both Caltrans and City officials.

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