House of Representatives Repeals Tunneling Ban
Giving a boost to plans to extend the Red Line subway west to Santa Monica, the House of Representatives on Wednesday repealed a ban on tunneling through Los Angeles’ Westside, two decades after subterranean methane caused an explosion in the city’s Fairfax neighborhood.
Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Los Angeles), who wrote the ban after the 1985 explosion, said he is satisfied that new technology now makes safe tunneling possible.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and others are in the process of seeking funding for the multibillion-dollar project.
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