TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021 — In a win for environmentalists and residents of Altadena, La Canada, Pasadena and Sun Valley, a planned four-year effort to remove 1.7 million cubic yards of sediment from Devil’s Gate Reservoir is concluding a year earlier than expected. Los Angeles County Public Works announced the news today on its website: https://pw.lacounty.gov/swe/DevilsGate/
“This is really a testament to the benefit of stakeholders coming together to forge an agreement that allows the County to move forward in a more sustainable manner, while protecting the health of people and the surrounding environment,” said attorney Mitchell Tsai, who was engaged by the Arroyo Seco Foundation and the Pasadena Audubon Society. “This kind of leadership and cooperation is exactly what we need in combatting climate change.”
By challenging the findings in the Environmental Impact Report, the lawsuit was able to forge a groundbreaking agreement between the groups and Los Angeles County officials that allowed the $100-million project to proceed in a protected canyon at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains.
The settlement required the County to use electric and compressed natural gas trucks for the sediment removal, thereby reducing the harmful emissions caused by the project. The agreement also resulted in increased habitat preservation and enhanced the environmental and recreational resources in the Hahamongna Watershed Park. County officials stated that these additional mitigation efforts would continue into 2022.