In brief

The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an

environmental analysis and a financing plan to repair slopes and relocate

a sewer line at the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve.

The 4-0 vote, with Supervisor Jim Silva absent, paves the way for the

project to proceed.

The county will split the project’s $700,000 price tag with Newport

Beach, which owns the sewer line that stretches along the East Bluff rim.

The slope work was proposed to fix erosion in the Back Bay that

occurred during the heavy rains of 1995 and 1998.

Construction on the project, which must clear several regulatory

hurdles and gain approval by the Newport Beach City Council, is set to

begin in the summer.

Before work can begin, the supervisors must approve detailed

construction plans.