LADWP Sued Over Methane Leak At Valley Generating Station

SUN VALLEY, CA — Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has been sued after several residents said the department did not notify them about a longtime methane leak at the Valley Generating Station. Public advocacy group Pueblo y Salud Inc. and the residents accused LADWP of fraudulent concealment, assault and battery, negligency, private and public nuisance, dangerous condition of property and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages.

According to the lawsuit, residents of Sun Valley, Pacoima and nearby areas have been unknowingly exposed to harmful chemicals for at least three years. The suit claims the residents, many of whom are minorities, have suffered from seizures, dizziness, shortness of breath and mental issues due to the exposure.

One woman experienced multiple seizures during her time in the area, but says they stopped once she moved out, according to the complaint, which also says that another young woman died from her seizures.

"Our seniors, our kids, the families we serve all live, work, play and go to school in areas that neighbor the Valley Generating Station," said Ruben Rodriguez, executive director of Pueblo y Salud. "It's a highly populated area and still no one warned us. Our families had no idea that the air they were breathing was toxic. There's no excuse for that."

L.A. Times first reported that LADWP admitted to the leak in later August, after NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory discovered the leak during an aerial survey and planned to make the results public. However, the utility staff said they had discovered the leak in August 2019 — a full year before revealing it to residents — but said nothing because they didn't think anyone was at risk.

"LADWP admitted that it made a cold, calculated decision that the local folks had to make the sacrifice," plaintiffs' attorney R. Rex Parris said. "They made an informed choice that the lives of the largely working- class people of color residents of Sun Valley and Pacoima were not worth raising an alarm. They knew for years about this leak, why did the utility not see fit to warn families sooner? There was no sense of urgency or concern."

The suit also claims DWP's general manager and chief engineer admitted the community's health could be "sacrificied" to facilitate the city's push for renewable energy. According to the L.A. Times, general manager acknowledged they "rely" more heavily on the Valley station during upgrades.

“The people who live around Valley Generating Station, who breathe the air in that area of the city, which is subject also to other industrial facilities and other sources of pollutants — they are very much supporting the overall efforts to create a more sustainable and green power future,” Adams said. “And so as we often have to rely on Valley more during the course of our upgrades, we realize that the local folks are making somewhat of a sacrifice in support of the overall efforts of the city.”