Concrete Debris Declared a Nuisance

A mountain of concrete debris in Huntington Park was declared a public nuisance Tuesday by a hearing officer who directed the city and an environmental group to develop a plan to clear the pile from a lot.

Colin Lennard, a Sherman Oaks environmental lawyer, made the ruling after five days of public hearings in which city officials, residents and business owners testified that fine dust wafting off the dump has brought health, safety and legal problems to the community.

“The preliminary decision was based on all testimonies that I heard, all documented evidence introduced and a site visit that I made to the facility and surrounding area,” Lennard said.

The mountain of debris, which is surrounded by a row of homes and industrial businesses, consists largely of chunks of the Santa Monica Freeway damaged in the 1994 Northridge quake.

Sam Chew, owner of Aggregate Recycling Systems, where the dump is located, was not available for comment. But his attorney, Anthony Weber, said Chew has not indicated any plans to appeal the decision.

The recycling facility, which began operations in late 1993, stores and crushes waste materials to resell for road base.

In a letter faxed to Chew, the city and Communities for a Better Environment, the nonprofit environmental group representing the residents, Lennard directed the involved parties to submit an abatement plan by Dec. 10 that outlines the steps to clear the dump. Based on this information, Lennard will make a final decision.

The ruling was applauded by residents who have complained that the concrete mountain, known more commonly in the community as la montana, has plagued their neighborhood, populated mostly by Mexican immigrants, for more than two years.

“I’m thrilled that the citizens’ voices were heard,” said longtime resident Leilani Hickman, who said her sinus problems began when the mountain arrived. “That gritty, gray dust has caused problems for far too long. We have a right to a healthy life.”