Go-Ahead for Waste Incinerator Protested

Members of Greenpeace and some East Los Angeles residents gathered Monday on the site of the proposed Vernon incinerator to protest last week’s court ruling that paved the way for construction of California’s first large-scale commercial hazardous waste incinerator.

The 40 protesters converged on Bandini Boulevard in Vernon where Security Environmental Systems Inc., the parent company of the incinerator’s developer, operates an infectious waste disposal facility.

The group was protesting last week’s ruling by Superior Court Judge Kurt J. Lewin ordering the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue construction permits for the plant without requiring a full environmental impact report. The protesters claimed that the plant will worsen pollution problems in the East Los Angeles area.

The protesters formed a human blockade in front of the gates, preventing vehicles from leaving or entering the compound. During the 90-minute protest, Security Environmental Chairman Alfred Grossman attempted to enter the plant but was turned back by a group of chanting marchers.