LOS ANGELES : Judge Tells Caltrans to Clean Up Hazardous Waste
A federal judge Wednesday ordered Caltrans to remove hazardous waste from thousands of roadside drainage basins in Los Angeles County and come up with a comprehensive strategy for reducing contamination of Santa Monica Bay within four months.
Under the order, Caltrans has until mid-April to clean up 10,000 catch basins that are known or suspected to contain hazardous wastes. Another 20,000 basins must be cleaned within 10 months. Caltrans, which estimates that the task will cost $7 million for the first year, failed to persuade U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie to grant it more time.
The judge also ruled that Caltrans must use the best available methods to protect the bay from runoff, regardless of the cost, if the environmental benefits are major.
Gail Ruderman Feuer, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, which filed the lawsuit against Caltrans, said the details of the judge’s order closely echo what his group had requested.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
