Hahn, Fire Chief, urges removal of illegal fireworks in Commerce
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone this week sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin requesting the urgent and expedited removal of 75 tons of dangerous illegal fireworks and 27 pallets of hand sanitizer from a warehouse in the City of Commerce.
Cal Fire and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the discovery when they raided a warehouse in late May. The fireworks and hand sanitizer have been deemed hazardous material and, therefore, outside of the LA County Fire Department’s authority to remove.
Although the EPA has identified a Department of Defense site for the storage and safe destruction of the materials, Los Angeles County officials have been informed the removal of the fireworks is projected for mid-August, a timeline that is unacceptable to Hahn and Marrone.
“This is a recipe for disaster, and it needs to be dealt with immediately,” said Hahn. “These explosives are sitting in the middle of a busy commercial area where people work every day and just blocks from homes. Our fire department would remove these fireworks themselves if we had the authority to, but as it stands, we need the EPA to act and we need them to act quickly.”
The letter sent today urgently requests the US EPA to expedite all necessary arrangements to ensure the removal of the fireworks and hand sanitizer as soon as possible, well in advance of the projected mid-August timeframe.
In the meantime, the warehouse is under 24/7 surveillance and fire watch.
Bass announces launch of AI for wildfire recovery
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass yesterday announced the City started beta testing for Archistar’s eCheck AI Pilot.
The tool, provided to the City and County thanks to a partnership with the State and philanthropy, will help homeowners review building plans for compliance with local building and zoning rules prior to submitting them to the City and formally starting the application process.
During the beta testing phase, homeowners, architects, and builders who are rebuilding single-family homes in Pacific Palisades can become early adopters by voluntarily submitting their plans to help train the AI tool and better support its effectiveness once it is formally launched.
“The City is committed to doing everything possible to get families back home,” said Bass. “The launch of beta testing is an important step in the implementation of this AI tool to further expedite the rebuilding timeline.”
Archistar is designing the AI tool to incorporate the City’s local building and zoning codes. Early adopters will help train the tool to identify any non-compliant elements before they are submitted to the L.A. Department of Building and Safety. Participating in the beta testing is not required to submit an application using the City’s existing plan check application process.
Those interested can learn more and create a free account on the L.A. Department of Building and Safety website here.
Miranda mourns passing of highly influential Santa Clarita Pastor
Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Miranda publicly mourned the death of Pastor John MacArthur, who died in Santa Clarita on Monday at 86.
According to the New York Times obituary, Rev. John MacArthur was a theologically uncompromising pastor in Southern California who influenced generations of evangelical preachers and became a culture warrior late in life.
He was considered a theological conservative and natural polemicist. For almost his entire career, he preached from the same pulpit at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles — often at length, up to five times a week.
In recent years, Rev. MacArthur increasingly waded into political and cultural skirmishes. He denounced critical race theory and became a leading Christian critic of “wokeness.”
After his church closed for several months at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, it defied state public health orders and began holding indoor in-person services. The church later received a settlement of $800,000 from the State of California and Los Angeles County after suing because the restrictions impinged on religious freedom.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Pastor John MacArthur. I had the honor of knowing him personally and always respected his devoted commitment to faith, education and service,” said Miranda.
“His visionary leadership at Grace Community Church and The Master’s University touched countless lives and uplifted generations. He poured his heart into advancing Christian education and nurturing future leaders, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to inspire for years to come. My heartfelt condolences go out to the MacArthur family, the Grace Church congregation, and everyone at The Master’s University during this difficult time.”
Schiavo rails against Chiquita Canyon Landfill
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch) continued to rail for immediate remedial mitigation action on the Chiquita Canyon Landfill following the release of a new CASPER (Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response) survey revealing alarming health impacts near the site.
“After calling for a CASPER health study for many months, I am grateful that California Communities Against Toxics stepped up to complete this survey of residents. The results are frightening and confirm what residents have been telling us for years: people are getting sick, families are suffering, and lives are being put in danger and upended by this ongoing public health crisis caused by the toxic chemicals being released by the 90-acre underground fire at Chiquita Canyon Landfill,” said Schiavo.
“Over 80% of households report asthma symptoms with 93% of households using medications for Asthma or wheezing. As a mother, seeing that 23% of households have experienced a miscarriage heartbreaking — that’s 57 times the LA County average. These results are frightening and in every category, they are well above average for LA County or California,” she added.
Schiavo noted that the court is hearing the Los Angeles County motion for a preliminary injunction to compel the landfill to pay for relocation and relief this week.
“While I’m hoping the lawsuit is successful, if decisive action to support our community doesn’t move forward immediately, this health survey shows we cannot in good conscience wait any longer to act,” said Schiavo
“In the event that an injunction is not granted, the local public health authority, the county, and the state must step in to act urgently to protect the health and safety of our community. That includes accelerating permanent relocation assistance, helping residents afford mitigation measures, and continuing all efforts to hold those responsible at the landfill accountable to make residents whole who invested their lives in what are now toxic homes.”
