Part of Hahn Park Closed After Tests Reveal Toxins

A section of Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area acquired in recent years for $8.7 million has been closed off so the area can be tested for hazardous substances, according to Los Angeles County health officials.

Preliminary tests found toxic material present in the soil, but not at concentrations that would be dangerous to the public, officials said.

Development of the 135-acre area in Baldwin Hills has been at a standstill since Feb. 1 after two workers complained of headaches, skin irritation and nausea while grading the property, an aide to county Supervisor Kenneth Hahn confirmed Thursday.

Cause of the workers’ illnesses was never determined, but costly tests were ordered because “we have to make sure that we’re not inviting people to a park where there is any kind of danger,” said Hahn deputy Burke Roche.

Seeking to find out more about the possible hazard, county officials spent $129,100 to hire a private consultant, Radian Corp.

County rules require that contracts exceeding $75,000 come to the Board of Supervisors for approval. But Carl Wada, project manager of the county Internal Services Department, said that officials drafted two contracts, for $68,090 and $61,010, in order to bypass the supervisors.

“We had to get going real quick,” he said. Wada said there was no effort to hide the matter from the public, pointing out that a citizens’ advisory panel for the park was notified.

Preliminary tests have detected a number of suspected cancer-causing substances, including benzene and chrysene. But so far, none of them has been found in heavy enough concentrations to be considered a threat to public health, said Frank Cervantes, a hazardous materials specialist for the county Department of Health Services.

“The question is, are they at a concentration or level where they can impact the public health?” he said. “The answer is probably not.” But further testing is required, he said.

“At this point, yes, I’d take my kids to play there,” he added. “We have about a 90% chance of being assured that we don’t have a problem there. I should go higher, but I don’t want to stick my foot in my mouth.”

Cervantes pointed out the area, site of a former oil field, contains “oil field wastes” typical of what can be found all over Southern California, once dotted with oil derricks. “These petroleum hydrocarbons are deep enough that they should not pose a problem to anybody on the surface,” he said.

County officials said they are exploring the possibility of mixing the contaminated soil with “clean” soil to dilute any hazardous substances and then covering the area with a 10-foot-deep layer of dirt. Cost of this remedy has not been estimated, but the county earlier estimated that it could cost up to $32 million to haul away all contaminated earth for disposal at a hazardous waste site.

The area being tested, along La Brea Avenue north of Stocker Street, includes the former site of the Baldwin Hills Dam and is proposed for passive recreational use, such as picnicking, said Jim Park, principal planner for the county Parks and Recreation Department.

It was acquired by the county and state for about $8.7 million between 1985 and 1987 as an addition to the original 183-acre park named after the area’s long-time county supervisor. Although a state park, it is operated by the county.

Park said the latest tests provide a “very expensive confirmation” of tests conducted before the property was acquired by the county and state.

Hahn spokeswoman Lynn Sakamoto said: “The supervisor has been kept abreast of everything that is going on, and the health department and other officials have expressed to him that there is no reason for alarm. We’re going to wait and see what the final report says.”

PARK AREA TESTING 1. The development of a recently acquired section of the Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area has been at a standstill while county health officials test for the presence of hazardous substances. 2. The remainder of the park remains open to the public and has not been subject to testing.