Sewage spill closes beaches

Two miles of surf in either direction from Ballona Creek and the Marina del Rey entrance channel will be marked off limits until at least tomorrow afternoon, thanks to raw sewage from Culver City's treatment system. (Some 20,000 and 30,000 gallons escaped into the creek from a pumping station.) That means the Marina Peninsula beach as far north as Ironsides Street and, to the south, the Playa Del Rey stretch of Dockweiler State Beach as far as Sandpiper Street. Beach closure is a bit of a misnomer, since you are still allowed on the sand. But going in the water is not recommended until the fecal coliform bacterial levels subdide. "Due to the contamination from this spill, residents should avoid contact with the ocean water at these locations until the beach has been reopened," said Jonathan Fielding, the county's public health director.

Photo: Windows Live Local