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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

Los Angeles County Grand Jury • 2016-2017

6. Neighborhoods at Risk from Toxins

20 pages
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Findings 13 findings

F1 Page 86
The Board of Supervisors has taken the first steps to address environmental oversight and monitoring by convening a task force to review oil and gas facilities compliance to regulations and requesting the Chief Executive Officer to prioritize needs in environmental health oversight and monitoring. The County will benefit from a environmental oversight and monitoring strategy that coordinates federal, state and county agencies responsible for environment oversight.
F2 Page 86
The CGJ found that environmental experts we interviewed recognize health to be a factor that needs to be included in defining many regulations. Health risk enforcement requires the expanded role and authority for public health analysis in the permitting process of land-use planning, zoning, business license, and building permits. The DPH should participate in recommending health components in compliance regulations and participating in the approval process.
F3 Page 86
Enforcement agencies have a need for more and better evidentiary data as described in the section Data and Monitoring.
F4 Page 86
The CGJ found that there is a causal relation between the conditions of “bad toxin contamination” and “bad health”. Pollution has had negative health impacts on groups of residents and is likely to have further health impacts on larger groups if it is not corrected.
F5 Page 86
The myriad of federal, state, and local regulatory agencies have compartmentalized authority be air, water or soil resulting in a silo approach to enforcement. Enforcement authority within the County is mostly uncoordinated but the DPH is trying to change that. The DPH is piloting a promising model that identifies high health risk areas using CalEnviroScreen data, identifying clusters industrial facilities that use or generate similar toxin materials. It then conducts inspection with the appropriate County, State or Federal partner agencies. A recent example of action taken by the DPH pursuant to Section 11.02.190 of the Los Angeles County Code, they exercised its’ authority to abate operations of an industrial facility that endangered public health by emitting hexavalent chromium in the city of Paramount.
F6 Page 72
The CGJ found that communities disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution are primarily of color, have low incomes and are under-served66, although risk to toxic exposure cuts across all levels of society and income. Overburdened communities sense a lack of environmental justice when they compared the government response times between the Porter Ranch gas leak and the Boyle Heights lead contamination. Professionals that were interviewed by the CGJ say that the public and community groups have lost trust in government agencies. Su, Jason G., etc. all. An Index for Assessing Demographic Inequities in Cumulative Environmental Hazards with Application to Los Angeles, CA. Environmental Science and Technology. 2009:43. 7626-7634 72 2016-2017 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT
F7 Page 87
The CGJ found that citizens needing to report toxic conditions affecting them had to navigate through a maze of government agencies to find the correct department with the right regulatory authority to take action. Because enforcement is fragmented by toxin or jurisdiction there currently is no central place to direct citizens to the proper regulatory authority.
F8 Page 73
Environmental justice community based organizations (CBOs) provide a counter balance to industry and government agencies. Through their investigative work and extensive local knowledge, they provide evidentiary environmental data and speak on behalf of people who live and work in high health risk communities. CBOs have views and recommendations and they need to be heard and given the opportunity to be a stakeholder partner with governmental agencies.
F9 Page 87
The opportunity to provide environmental justice to the 28 gateway cities is dependent on the outcome of the proposed I-710 Corridor Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR review is scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2018. Several alternative plans in the EIR require the use of zero emission trucks. These trucks would be powered by electric motors or will receive electric power while traveling along the freight corridor via an overhead catenary distribution system.
F10 Page 87
Residential building permits continue to be issued regardless of scientific data near roadways. Studies show higher incidents of respiratory illness such as asthma and cancer for people living within 300 feet of freeway. A 2012 report from the SCAQMD estimated 1 million people live within 300 feet of a freeway.
F11 Page 87
Repeatedly, the CGJ heard from environmental subject experts and received evidence that confirms the SCAQMD environmental assessment of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. “The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the largest in the nation as well as the single largest fixed source of air pollution in Southern California”.
F12 Page 87
With regards the goods movement industries, Los Angeles County does not receive tax benefit from 40% of goods transported from the San Pedro Bay ports destined for sale outside of the County. However, the County receives the burden of pollution, costs for road repair and detrimental health risks.
F13 Page 81
Scientists and researchers use the Mates and CalEnviroScreen systems at Occidental College Urban and Environmental Policy Institute expressed their need for greater precision and transparency of the data. To the extent that a full capabilities system as described above is not immediately feasible, the system should be designed so that it maximizes capabilities that are currently feasible and is extensible to increased capabilities as they become feasible. 2016-2017 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 73 V

Recommendations 12