LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - In a ceremony that stressed cooperation and change, Congressional and local representatives and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers marked the beginning of work to remove contaminated soil and return a valuable educational and recreational asset to residents and visitors who use it year-round.

Under the Formerly Used Defense Sites program, the Corps and its contractor, Innovative Technologies Solutions, Inc. will remove lead-contaminated soil from about two acres at the Point Vicente Interpretive Center in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, who represents California's 36th District, hosted the June 29th ceremony. Harman gave "Thanks to all levels, especially to the local involvement. When we had to shut down what we had, it was devastating."

What they "had to shut down" was the Point Vicente Interpretive Center and grounds, located on about 26 acres at the southwest tip of Los Angeles County. The waters between Point Vicente and Santa Catalina Island serve as a migratory path for gray whales. The center hosts individuals and group tours and serves as a scientific research center.

The center has been closed to the public since August 1999, when tests conducted in conjunction with a proposed center expansion showed elevated levels of lead in the soil. The cause of the lead's presence was the area's former use as an Army "Known Distance Rifle Range" during the 1950s. The rifle range served as a site for small arms target practice and qualifying of military personnel stationed at nearby Fort MacArthur.

Col. Richard Thompson, the Corps' Los Angeles District Engineer, said the event marked "the beginning of the construction activities that will enable this important community asset to return to its intended purpose."

"Today, a major part of the Corps of Engineers' efforts are devoted to environmental restoration projects," Thompson said. "They range in size and complexity from the cleanup of small former military sites such as this one, to the largest mission currently assigned to the Corps of Engineers, the multi-billion dollar restoration of the Florida Everglades."

Harman recognized former U.S. Rep. Steve Kuykendall's contribution as essential to getting the project off the ground. "Steve Kuykendall has had a huge impact on the progress of this effort," she said. "When he handed off the project to me, the ball was already 75 yards down the field. His commitment over the years has been essential."

Kuykendall, who introduced the legislation to gain funding for the cleanup, also spoke at the ceremony. He praised the "bipartisan effort" that enabled the cleanup to gain approval and funding. He said that he and "associates worked closely with a Democrat President and a Republican Congress to determine 'How can we come together to resolve this issue?'" The result is the project about ready to start. "I'm just pleased that I had anything to do with it. It's a wonderful place to enjoy what this area is all about."

Visitors and docents attending the ceremony talked about their excitement to have the center and its grounds returned for their use. One reminisced about a group that met "at that park bench right there every Friday night. We once had a mother and a baby whale come up below us, about 40 feet away, and just rest."

Harman thanked Thompson for his commitment to expeditiously complete the project and noted the Corps' change in its priorities in response to the nation's interests. "The Army Corps has transformed," she said. "It does a huge amount of restoration work. Every time the Corps has turned up, the area has turned greener."

Thompson echoed that sentiment. "(The Corps') national focus reflects a renewed awareness that we are part of this ecosystem and that we hold it in trust for our children," he said.

The restoration project will remove the upper layer of soil that contains lead and replace it with clean soil.During the removal, the contractor will test the soil to ensure that the lead concentration falls below state approved action level of 250 parts per million (ppm) total lead. That level is most protective of children in a residential backyard or playground.

Tawny Tran, the district's manager for this project, expects the removal and replacement of soil to take about 90 days. To fulfill the city's concerns about additional soil contamination in the future expanded areas, a Corps contractor will be on site to sample and analyze the excavated soil for health and safety monitoring. The contractor will properly dispose of any soil that exceeds 250 ppm total lead.

When the area has passed its inspection, the Corps will return the property to Rancho Palos Verdes, which will then begin construction of the interpretive center expansion.

Thompson told those in attendance that the project would remain high on his list of priorities. "I brought my children here with me today. They want to see this facility back in operation so they can visit it," he said. "I assured them that they would get that chance."