The Garbage Chronicles, Part IV (This time its NOT Smith)
An article in the LA Daily Journal highlights Sun Valley residents efforts to scale back growth of the Bradley Landfill in their community, and - by their accounts - the lack of response to their concerns by their local Councilman, Tony Cardenas of the 6th District.Bradley (no, not named for former Mayor Tom Bradley but for Bradley Avenue, the street it is on) has existed for several decades. One of 30 landfills in Sun Valley, a former gravel pit, we've been putting our trash in there ever since. Not only has the deep hole dug to mine gravel been nicely filled in with years of consumables, it is now a pile over 100 feet tall. Waste Management, the operators of the facility, want to increase that pile by another 43 feet. The company also wants to build a waste transfer facility on the site.
The locals have taken to calling the pile, Mount Cardenas, in "honor" of their Councilman.
Neighbors in Sun Valley - including parents who say the landfill is seriously impacting the health of their young children - are banding together to fight the landfill expansion as it snakes it way through Council review. Still, the residents have little hope of victory until Cardenas moves to their side, as they expect most if not all other Council members will follow Cardenas' lead.
Residents point to a "community advisory panel" set up to discuss the landfill. However, Waste Management is reported to have contributed $125,000 to finance the panel and three of the members were Waste Management employees. As well, Waste Management and/or employees of company have donated thousands of dollars over the years to current & past council members including Cardenas and fellow Councilman Alex Padilla, who had represented the area before redistricting.
Sun Valley, a predominantly Latino, working class neighborhood, is heating up to be ground zero for the environmental movement in Los Angeles. It will be interesting to see how this develops.
More pictures of Bradley Landfill available at Mayor Sam 2.
Sidenote: The City of Santa Clarita, whose trash is handled by Waste Management's Blue Barrell Disposal is encouraging their residents to bring waste to Bradley, in the City of Los Angeles.
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 2/13/2006 12:20:00 AM
12 Comments:
Would that be Tim Bradley Avenue?
Poppycock. Trash has to wind up somewhere. How is this post productive in terms of waste/recycling issues?
Mayor Sam - go read the Santa Clarita link again. They aren't encouraging trash to be taken to Bradley.
They are encouraging electronic recylcables to be taken there to be picked up.
The only Councilman who has a plan, according to the Daily news, is Councilman Greig Smith. Cardenas should support his efforts. His plan is call RENEW LA.
Don't you mean Tom Bradley?
MAYOR SAM IS RIGHT SANTA CLARTIA CAN KEEP THEIR OWN DAMN TRASH OR RECYLCING OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT. WE DONT NEED IT IN SUN VALLEY
Uncharacteristicly, Mayor Sam has got this one wrong. Waste Management seems to be maintaining a park-like environment the the midst of auto wreckers, other dumps and operating gravel pits. Once again, the most visable name gets the finger.
As far as I can tell the only ones on this blog who DID NOT get money from BFI are Jim Alger and Greg Smith.
Doug Cochran, from Waste Management, is a real piece of work. He gives "great" and "honest" presentations about the height increase.
"This is great for the local economy."
"Have you visited the site? You'll be surprised that it doesn't smell."
"The number of trucks coming into the neighborhood will decrease."
"Don't worry people, this is safe."
I wonder if Doug has been to Fernangeles Elementary. Oh no, it does smell there. Yes, trash has to go somewhere but Bradley isn't a clean operation. Time to close.
all these studies that have been compiling data in the area are supported by who or what organization? Anybody know?
Again, how is this shit post productive to this very real issue?
It's Doug Corcoran from Waste Management, not Cochran.
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