150 Protest El Monte Landfill Plan
About 150 residents, alarmed by plans for an inert landfill in a former quarry in nearby Arcadia, urged El Monte officials to press for other uses of the area at a town meeting last week.
The catalyst for the meeting was a draft environmental impact report concluding that the project would have negligible detrimental effects and would benefit the area. The 85-acre quarry is located on a sliver of land in Arcadia, which abuts El Monte homes.
Although the report notes there would be increased noise, traffic and dust created by up to 200 trucks dumping each day, it said many of the problems could be mitigated by the proposed operator, BKK Corp. of Torrance.
“Why are they trying to destroy a part of our city?” asked resident Michael Gomez. “Why don’t they take what they’re planning for the landfill and stick (it) in their own back yards.”
El Monte officials have repeatedly expressed fears about illegal dumping at the landfill and have pressed for extensive testing of the ground water. The city’s consultants have also quibbled with key portions of the report. El Monte City Atty. David F. Gondek said the city will have a formal reply on Sept. 30.
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