Deukmejian Vetoes L.A. Trash Plan

After criticizing Los Angeles’ troubled sewage system, Gov. George Deukmejian vetoed state legislation on Tuesday that would have cleared the way for the city to build a $200-million trash-to-energy conversion plant.

Deukmejian, who may face another gubernatorial clash next year with Mayor Tom Bradley, blocked the city’s pet energy project and managed to lay part of the blame on the Bradley Administration’s failure to control the recent spate of sewage spills into Santa Monica Bay.

“In light of the serious problems the City of Los Angeles has recently experienced in managing its sewage system,” Deukmejian said in his veto message, “I believe that it would be irresponsible to approve this solid waste project without all the professional and public scrutiny.”

Solid Waste Facility

City officials had hoped the state would authorize a solid waste facility permit for the Los Angeles City Energy Recovery project--known as LANCER. The proposed plant, on a 13-acre site at 41st and Alameda streets, would be capable of burning 1,600 tons of rubbish a day and producing electricity.

State law requires that a county solid waste management plan be approved before a city can build a trash conversion plant. Deputy Mayor Tom Houston said city officials had sought an exemption because the county has been slow in coming up with such a plan.

If the Legislature does not override the governor’s veto, the city will have to wait for Los Angeles County supervisors to approve a solid waste management plan.

In vetoing the project, Deukmejian questioned whether enough planning had been done to ensure environmental protection and safety.

Houston said, however, that the project had been adequately scrutinized and he criticized Deukmejian for trying to tie it to the city’s sewage problems.

“The governor doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Or he doesn’t know the difference between solid garbage and sewage, which doesn’t surprise me,” Houston said.

The Los Angeles City Council had already named the principal underwriters to begin marketing the bonds that would help pay for for the LANCER project.

The veto was the latest headache in Bradley’s attempt to grapple with the city’s waste management program. The mayor was embarrassed when city sewer lines overflowed several times in the last few weeks, including last weekend, when 100,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into Santa Monica Bay.

Letters to Other Mayors

On Tuesday, before leaving for a South American trade promotion trip, Bradley sent letters to the mayors of seven other cities that use the Los Angeles sewer system, seeking their help in controlling industrial waste discharges.

In an accompanying press release, Bradley said that most of the other cities were not doing enough to make sure that hazardous and toxic chemicals are not dumped into the sewers.

The mayor said three cities--Beverly Hills, El Segundo and Santa Monica--have failed to enact ordinances that control the discharge of hazardous and toxic wastes, although they are required to do so by federal law. Burbank and Glendale have such ordinances, Bradley said, but do not enforce the laws vigorously. The mayor said he is unsure how San Fernando and Culver City are implementing their ordinances.

In defense, Santa Monica Mayor Christine Reed said City Council members have tried to address the problem and contended that Bradley was merely trying to divert attention from his city’s trouble and its political fallout.

“I think Tom Bradley is nervous about all this raw sewage hiccuping into the ocean,” she said, “and he is trying to figure out a way to blame us for it.”