Southeast : Campaign to Recall Four City Council Members Fails
A group of Pico Rivera residents, surprised in September when state officials notified them that the Gas Co. had applied for a 10-year permit to store toxic waste in the city, has failed in a recall effort against four of the city’s council members.
The Good Government Committee had until 5:30 p.m. Thursday to submit petitions to recall Mayor Garth Gardner and council members John Chavez, Beatrice Proo and Gil De La Rosa. Each petition needed 4,753 valid signatures, or 20% of the city’s registered voters.
“We got a late start,” said Henrietta Salazar, treasurer of the group spearheading the recall effort. “Maybe we’ll try again.”
Their attempt was fueled by the Gas Co.’s plans to store up to 1,100 drums of toxic waste at a facility in Pico Rivera where the company has been keeping as many as 200 barrels on an interim permit since 1983. Recently, company officials agreed to store no more than 200 of the 55-gallon drums in exchange for the city’s support of the long-term permit.
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