Construction Firm Probed in Leveling of Long Beach Salt Marsh

[zonkers]

Source: Long Beach Press Telegram


A Signal Hill construction company has come under investigation for leveling 10 acres of salt marsh, dumping asphalt and unearthing a former city dump near the Los Cerritos Wetlands at the mouth of the San Gabriel River.

Long Beach officials Friday issued a stop-work order against 2H Construction, after residents complained that the company was tearing up wetlands. Long Beach City Manager Pat West said 2H was operating without appropriate permits while it was preparing the land for construction of a soccer field.

On Monday morning, an egret stood in the center of the barren parcel amid bulldozer tracks and mounds of toppled palm trees and refuse on the eastern edge of the Los Cerritos Wetlands. An osprey was perched on a lone post where vegetation once grew.

"What was green with trees and nesting birds is now muck devoid of vegetation," said Elizabeth Lambe, executive director of the nonprofit Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust. "We're angry that our laws could be violated like this with impunity."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wetlands24-2009mar24,0,4722044.story

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Word to everybody: PROTECT YOUR LOCAL WILDLIFE HABITATS. During these hard economic times, they need us more than ever.

I really want to see how this plays out -- and if the salt marsh is restored. I am sure this an area with endangered species of birds and plants.

[Howardx]

1. theres much more to this story

the local indie broke this story and has great coverage

http://thedistrictweekly.com/

collusion between city and developers, giveaways of city property, its all happening.

[zonkers]

4. So what gives? The fix is in in LB. No one goes to jail. Sheesh.

Do share.

[Howardx]

5. pretty much

from what i can tell LB is wide open for developers as far as city government is concerned.

[damntexdem]

2. What an atrocity! I used to live near there.

And there is more-than-sufficient "development" all around it. So they have to desecrate what little there is left.

[DCKit]

3. Whatever this company is worth, it's not going to be enough to restore the wetlands.

Considering I'm on the east coast, it's odd that I've heard of this particular company before.... Additionally, you've really got to wonder how they thought they'd get away with this - Teh Dick and W* are long gone and the alphabet agencies are beginning to function again.

Corporate Amurika: Taking Teh Stoopid to a Whole New Level.