(Sacramento, CA) – Yesterday, Assembly Bill 2189 which seeks to provide additional funding for the testing and cleanup of lead-impacted parkways around the now-shuttered Exide Technologies plant, met the unanimous approval of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials.
The measure is authored by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) and supported by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis in response to an ongoing demand from their overlapping community for cleanup consistency.
“It’s become increasingly clear that the $176.6 million in state funding that was provided in 2016 will only just scratch the surface in terms of cleanup in my district,” said Assemblymember Santiago. “The residents of Vernon, Huntington Park, and Boyle Heights remain rightfully concerned about their exposure to lead and heavy metal contamination from this derelict facility. I know the additional funding provided by AB 2189 will help to continue to mitigate dangerous exposure to residents and families.”
In 2016, Assemblymember Santiago authored AB 118, a key component of the Exide Clean-Up Package, to expedite state funding for the purposes of testing, clean-up, and job training in the community. As a follow-up, Santiago introduced AB 2189 yesterday to serve as a vehicle for both funding and language regarding parkway testing.
"I join the families affected by Exide in applauding the Assembly's Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee for passing this important piece of legislation," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. "Our community needs assistance from our leaders in Sacramento, and we have laid out a clear path to cleaning these neighborhoods that have been contaminated by lead and other toxins. I look forward to continued success as this bill moves forward in the legislative process."
AB 2189 will next be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in the coming weeks.
Assemblymember Miguel Santiago is the Chair of the Assembly’s Communications and Conveyance Committee, and a member of both the Assembly Health Committee and the California Latino Legislative Caucus. He represents the 53rd District composed of the cities of Los Angeles, Huntington Park, and Vernon.
CONTACT: (Santiago) Jackie Koenig - Jackie.Koenig@asm.ca.gov, (916) 319-2053
(Solis) Michael Kapp – Mkapp@bos.lacounty.gov, (213) 974-4111