Los Angeles Admits 3,600 Sewage Spills

The city's Bureau of Sanitation concedes in a federal court filing that it is responsible for thousands of spills.

1 minute read

April 24, 2003, 11:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


"A federal judge in December found the city liable for 297 sewage spills over the course of a year, for which the city could face up to $8 million in fines. But the city is now formally admitting responsibility for more than 12 times that many spills over the last decade — 3,668 in all — as part of an effort to demonstrate that it is finally owning up to the problem... The admission is the latest twist in a four-year court fight pitting Los Angeles against federal and state officials, environmental groups and homeowner organizations in Baldwin Hills, the Crenshaw District and Leimert Park, where many of the spills occurred. In recent years, raw sewage has often floated to the surface of the street in front of Manual Arts High School in South Los Angeles."

Thanks to Laura Kranz

Wednesday, April 23, 2003 in The Los Angeles Times

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