Reconnecting MacArthur Park, Electric buses, and more

Four years ago, with the support of the Trump administration, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court allowed Exide Technologies to abandon its battery recycling plant in the City of Vernon. That decision meant that the cleanup of the Exide plant, which spread lead, arsenic, and other toxins across working class communities in the Eastside, was left to California taxpayers. As of this week, California may be in line for some relief courtesy of the federal government.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that the Exide battery recycling facility and its surroundings are eligible for listing on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. If the EPA decides to list the Exide site - which is not guaranteed - federal resources can be dedicated to oversee the cleanup effort.

“This is what the fight for environmental justice in historically disadvantaged communities looks like – a decades-long struggle to be heard – and after nearly a
generation of battling for accountability and protection for the children and families who continue to be victimized, we are one step closer to achieving that goal,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, who represents the surrounding area. “The EPA’s decision clears a major hurdle, but it is not a victory lap. It does, however, make sure that the people in East Los Angeles, Vernon, Boyle Heights, Bell, Huntington Park, Commerce, and Maywood who continue to suffer the consequences of an egregious offender who knowingly released toxins into their water, soil, and air have not been forgotten.”

The federal infrastructure bill continues to pay dividends for Los Angeles.

This week, the Federal Transit Administration announced that it had awarded $77.5 million to Metro for the purchase of new electric buses and charging equipment. Metro's award was part of $1.5 billion distributed to 117 projects across 47 states.

“Today, another 117 communities across 47 states are receiving the good news that their transit buses are being modernized and their commutes improved through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the announcement. “The Biden-Harris Administration is helping agencies replace old buses running on dirtier, expensive fuels by delivering modern and zero-emission buses, manufactured by American workers, that will connect more people to where they need to go.” 

Metro released a solicitation in April of this year for the purchase of at least 260 battery electric buses and 20 hydrogen fuel cell electric buses, with purchase options for up to 1,980 additional vehicles.

Here's what we're reading this week:

New lawsuit aims to stop LA leaders from further ‘thwarting’ Venice homeless housing project "The suit centers on Venice Dell, a hotly contested project that’s one of the largest planned Westside housing proposals for unhoused people and people with low incomes. City leaders approved an agreement in June 2022 to develop the 140-unit project, before subsequent approvals allegedly stalled amid community pushback." (LAist)

Light-rail testing underway on Foothill Gold Line extension from Azusa to Pomona "After years of construction, a billion-dollar extension of the L.A. Metro A-Line is now testing light rail trains on a 9.1-mile addition that will extend the line from Azusa to Pomona, with stops at Glendora, La Verne and San Dimas." (ABC 7)

Some-build Olympics  "This was originally supposed to be a 'no-build' Olympics, and that's what the commitment was to the public" (Torched LA)

City Leaders Kick Off Planning For Reconnecting MacArthur Park "Reconnecting MacArthur Park is a multi-year planning effort laying the groundwork for closing Wilshire Boulevard between Alvarado Street and Carondelet Street" (Streetsblog LA)

Pasadena City Council considers $195 million bond to bring Central Library back to its former glory (LAist)

Why Leo Pustilnikov is buying 1,500 Skid Row apartments and wants to build thousands more "Now, Pustilnikov, who has since amassed an assortment of high-value properties from Beverly Hills to Redondo Beach, is trying again downtown. The centerpiece of his plan is 17 buildings remaining in receivership after last year’s collapse of the nonprofit Skid Row Housing Trust. At 1,200 units, the trust portfolio is one of the largest collections of supportive housing in Los Angeles, with many of the buildings’ formerly homeless tenants suffering from drug addiction and men..." (LA Times)

LA28 Announces More Olympic Venues "The 2028 Games Confirm Plans for Venues in the Cities of Los Angeles, Carson and Long Beach" (LA28)

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