Eucalyptus Trees to Be Removed from OC Sanitation District Campus

Amid safety concerns, officials at the Orange County Sanitation District in Fountain Valley have decided to remove the eucalyptus trees alongside its administration building.

The trees will be removed during the next two Saturdays, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14. Accoding to a statement from OCSD, there have been "several close calls" with the trees in recent years, including one incident in which one of the trees fell, narrowly missing the administration building. Officials also took into account an incident in the Newport Mesa area in September in which a eucalyptus fell, crushing a car and killing its driver.

A licensed arborist came to inspect the trees in late November and found two trees infected with sulphur fungus, a condition that causes rot and structural decay. In addition, the trees had tortoise beetles, which were suspected as a contributing factor in the Costa Mesa incident. Drainage problems were also noted, along with possible damage from the wall construction.

"I know many will be upset with the trees being removed," General Manager Jim Ruth said. "But my first priority is the safety of employees working in our buildings and the hundreds of cars that drive down Ellis Avenue every day."