Permits for the reef projects were revoked and the foundation could be fined $25,000 a day. (Kristen Zeis/The Virginian-Pilot)

A Virginia agency ordered work to cease on three human-made reefs in Virginia Beach.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission mandated that Chesapeake Bay Foundation projects at Pleasure House Creek Oyster Reef, Brown Cove Reef and Keeling Drain Reef be halted due to public safety and environmental issues, according to a letter from the agency dated today.

Inspections of work sites this year, including by dive teams, found material not meant for use on the human-made reefs — such as asphalt and metal wire — was being used, according to the letter.

Commission staff confirmed an “undetermined” amount of concrete rubble had been put on top of a 25-year old oyster broodstock sanctuary reef at Keeling Drain Reef, according to the letter.

At Brown Cove Reef, May inspections found concrete outside the permitted area and asphalt and metal wire at the site, which was also found at the Pleasure House Creek Oyster Reef site. The human-made reef at Pleasure House is also taller than permitted, according to the letter.

“Concrete samples and chunks of asphalt recovered from the aforementioned sites were additionally analyzed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science for evidence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to see if they could potentially leach (the chemical) directly into the water,” the letter said. “Although the results concluded that both the asphalt and the concrete rubble used to construct these reefs released (the chemical) compounds, VIMS specifically concluded that the asphalt material does not belong in the aquatic environment at all.”

In a statement issued Wednesday, the bay foundation said the marine resources commission had approved the use of concrete, which it called “a key component in numerous successful oyster reefs across the Bay watershed.”

“We are surprised and disappointed by this enforcement action, as we have been working to address concerns regarding the Lynnhaven reefs since first learning of them,” the foundation said in the statement. “While we are now reviewing the notice to comply, we are committed to resolving the issues in a manner that will best protect the river and watershed.”

Permits for the projects were revoked and the foundation could be fined $25,000 a day for continued work on each reef, according to the commission’s letter.

“The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s noncompliance with VMRC permits, including the prohibited use of asphalt, trash, metal wire, and plastic in these three reefs compelled the administration to require complete removal of all reef material and revoke the VMRC permits,” said Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for Gov. Glenn Youngkin, in an emailed statement. “To ensure the safety of Virginians and to minimize water quality impacts, the administration took appropriate action and will continue to ensure that we are cleaning up our water in Virginia in a thoughtful and effective way.”

The foundation must remove all the reef material they have added, based on a plan they must submit within 30 days for approval by VMRC, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to the letter.