Walnut : Chemical Plant Opposition

Members of a residents group, alarmed by a chemical distribution company’s plans to build a plant in nearby Industry, say they have gathered more than 2,000 signatures on petitions urging the City Council to oppose the project.

Vickie Kensington, one of the leaders of the newly formed Walnut Valley Environmental Action Committee, said the group hopes to gather nearly double that number before the council meets on Wednesday.

The group also sent about 140 letters to The Times from residents opposed to the Van Waters & Rogers plant. Almost twice that number of letters were mailed to the firm’s parent company, Seattle-based Univar Corp., Kensington said.

In April, the Industry City Council approved plans for the company to relocate from Commerce to within 1,500 feet of Walnut neighborhoods. The plant will be built on 30.7 acres just south of the intersection of Grand Avenue and Valley Boulevard. As envisioned, the plant will have up to 35 chemical storage tanks, a fleet of 30 trucks and about 250,000 square feet of warehouse and office space.

Although city officials said they learned about the project in mid-1988, the city has not taken a stance on the project, despite pleas from some Walnut residents.

Kensington said the group hopes to persuade city officials, who group members accuse of foot-dragging, to oppose the relocation plans.

“We want the mayor, our city, to get behind us,” she said.