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Brewers owner Mark Attanasio is named in a California lawsuit, accused of contracting with a company that allegedly dug up large amounts of sand from a Malibu beach to use in an ongoing construction project at his beachfront property.
The lawsuit was filed last week in Los Angeles County against the billionaire’s construction company. The story was first reported by Bloomberg.
The suit was filed by his neighbor, James Kohlberg, heir and chairman of a global investment firm based in New York City.
Kohlberg’s lawyers accuse Attanasio’s construction team, JILK Heavy Construction, of violating environmental law by using excavators in tidal zones, leaking oils and exposing local marine life to hazardous chemicals.
Attorneys argue they have photographic proof of violations, like excavators operating in tidal zones.
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According to the Los Angeles Times, Attanasio, who came to an agreement with Bud Selig's family to purchase the Brewers in 2004, bought the Broad Beach home for $23 million in 2007. A decade later, he purchased the neighboring empty lot for $6.6 million.
In a statement, Attanasio’s attorney, Kenneth Ehrlich, said Attanasio’s company, 2XMD Partners LLC, was “in the midst of a fully-permitted emergency repair of the property to protect it from ocean forces.”
The lawsuit alleges the construction, which began in March, has resulted in restricted access to the beach. Since June, excavators allegedly began dragging sand from the beach onto Attanasio’s property and left gasoline residue in the water and sand, the suit alleges.
Attanasio obtained permits for the work and 2XMD were in full compliance, Ehrlich said.
“(2XMD) has secured all permits necessary for the repairs from the City of Malibu and LA County as well as thoroughly vetted all contractors and sub-contractors involved in the project,” Ehrlich wrote in a statement.
Broad Beach is described the LA Times as a hyper-exclusive enclave where celebrities and business tycoons spend tens of millions of dollars for homes right on the water.
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Violent storms and high tides over the years have led to significant sand depletion. In 2015, celebrities Dustin Hoffman, Ray Romano and Pierce Brosnan committed to a $31 million restoration project to bolster the beach’s sand.
The lawsuit, which accuses Attanasio of public nuisance, private nuisance and violation of California state law, requests a stop to the construction, for the sand to be replaced and for fines to be issued.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers owner Mark Attanasio contracted with company that stole sand from public beach and left oils in the water, lawsuit alleges
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