City Seeks to Reduce Trash Going Into River

Despite demands to take stronger action, the City Council agreed Wednesday to set a goal of reducing the amount of trash going into the Los Angeles River by 60% in five years.

Some environmentalists have urged the Regional Water Quality Control Board to require steps to eventually keep all trash out of the river, but city officials say that is unrealistic and prohibitively expensive.

The regional board is considering a plan to require a 10% reduction in trash each year, with a goal of eliminating 95% of the trash from going into the river.

The council recommended an alternative that reduces trash by 60% in the first five years instead of 50%. After five years, the city proposes, the regional board would conduct a study to determine if additional reductions are necessary and feasible.

To meet its goal, the city would spend about $234 million to install trash-diversion devices on 900 city-controlled outlets that dump into the river from streets and gutters, many of which are in the San Fernando Valley, said Judith Wilson, director of the city Bureau of Sanitation

“It’s going to be expensive but it will result in a cleaner river,” Wilson said.