Avila Beach: A New Beginning

When Unocal (presently Chevron) hosted a community picnic in Avila Beach in September 2000, the event celebrated the end of a massive cleanup operation and the beginning of the new Avila Beach. Located on the central coast of California, Avila Beach had been home to a Unocal tank farm and oil transport operation from the early 1900s to the 1980s. A local resident doing some landscaping encountered contamination on his property in 1989, leading to the discovery that Unocal's underground pipes had been leaking petroleum products into the soil, undetected, for years.

Although the contamination never posed a health risk, disagreements over cleanup methods dragged on for five years and Unocal's reputation suffered. Then, in August 1997, Roger Beach (Unocal's CEO at the time), came to Avila Beach to publicly accept responsibility for the contamination resulting from past operations. At the same time he presented the company's multi-part plan to clean up the town. Project Avila began in October 1998. It ultimately involved excavation of the commercial section of town and a substantial portion of the beach. Two historic structures were moved offsite, stored during the excavation, and moved back to their original locations, one of which was on a pier. Contaminated sand was transported to a disposal facility by truck. "Matching-grain" sand was located and used to replace lost soils. Affected residents were relocated and a communications program - newsletters, radio spots, mailings, a website and a 24-hour hotline - provided the community with frequent updates and project information.

Today, Avila's main street is an attractive pedestrian promenade complete with decorative lighting, railings and benches, and an oceanfront amphitheater. Unocal concluded its formal Avila Beach activities and is now funding a three-year commercial promotion project to help jumpstart new and returning businesses in the area. The beach is once again packed with visitors, commercial rebuilding is underway. Plans include a resort hotel and new marine institute in Avila Beach.