An old metal plating plant in South Central Los Angeles was found to be contaminated with toxins such as chromium and chromic acid. These toxins were found in the soil.

The plant had been on Washington Blvd. and Hooper Avenue since 1928. Back then there were not as many toxic disposal sites as there are now. Often factory workers would just leave chromium or chromic acid around in a container to evaporate, or they would just pour them into the earth. After the owner died, the factory went out of business and was abandonded.

After about a year the factory became ruined and was used by homeless people. Neighbors started to complain and the police wore called in to get them out. But the homeless didn't leave so the S.W.A.T. team was called in. They discovered that the old factory was a danger because it was contaminated with toxins. The S.W.A.T. team called the Los Angeles City Hazardous Material Team (HazMat) and they found toxins such as chromium and chromic acid in the soil. The job was so big, the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) was called to help clean up the mess.

The E.P.A. arrived in three hours, but they did not have the money to clean it up right away. All they were able to do at that time was to close everything, seal the soil with asphalt, and post "DANGER" signs.

The E.P.A. placed a robotic weather station at the site. This machine measures the wind speed and direction in order to know where the soil is being blown to. This anemometer contains a turbine that turns as the wind blows, creating electricity. The wind speed its then measured by how much electricity has been made.
It also has a barometer, a rain gauge and a clock to keep track of the time when the wind is blowing. All of this is being recorded by a computer. This computer is found at the bottom of the weather station.

The E.P.A brought in air pollution testers. The metal boxes contain filter paper and an air pump. A fan pulls air from the sides and filters it on its way out. The filter paper ends up with dirt and pieces of metal that are sent to a laboratory were they get examinated. At the laboratory the scientists study the filter paper in order to learn what chemicals are in the earth and air at that site.

One year later, the E.P.A. got more money from Federal taxes and started to clean the factory. First, they removed the old metal plating plant and started to dig out the contaminated earth. The soil was dug out and hauled away with trucks. The workmen had to use white suits and boots.
They transported the contaminated earth to a safer place with trucks. Then they poured asphalt on the ground to keep the wind from blowing out the earth.

I think that this is a great problem because nearby houses could be contaminated and those toxins are dangerous for the people who live there. Plus, it is destroying the environment and all the kids of the future will not have any places to play. They will not be able to enjoy nature as we have. We must take care of nature in order to preserve it for the next generation.

(Editor's Note) Since this article was written, the Los Angeles Unified School District has run into legal road blocks from the Concerned Citizens of South Central to delay the opening of Jefferson New Middle School, about 40 blocks south of here on East 56th Street. Concerned Citizens wants more tests done before the new $54 million middle school is opened since hexavalent chromium and tetrachloroethene (TCE) were left by a former furniture manufacturer and chromium plating plant, and were found in the soil and water beneath the school. The district's environmental impact review did not reveal the existance of these two cancer-causing substances. 16

Ten years ago Concerned Citizens blocked the construction of an incinerator in South-Central over concerns that not enough testing had been done on the possible hazards to the communty. See the LANCER Project.

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