County revises environmental plan for Devil’s Gate sediment removal; public can comment until Sept. 7
On Monday, the Los Angeles County Flood Control District released revisions to its final environmental impact report (FEIR) for the removal of a proposed 2.4 million cubic yards of sediment from behind Devil’s Gate Dam in the Hahamongna Watershed Park, across from La Cañada High School, over the next three to five years.
The public now has until Sept. 7 to review the revisions and provide comments before they are submitted to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for approval.
In a lawsuit filed against the county by local environmental groups against the size and scope of the proposal, a March 23 order by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant temporarily suspended all activities and preparation for the project, which would see 400 round-trip daily truck trips on segments of Oak Grove and Berkshire drives and the Foothill (210) Freeway.
Chalfant decertified segments of the county’s FEIR regarding mitigation measures and the cumulative impact of the dig to biological resources in Hahamongna Park. The revisions were required to support the project’s 1-to-1 biological mitigation plan and clarify that only trucks meeting the Air Quality Management District’s 2010 emissions standards would be used to haul sediment, as opposed to lower 2007 standards.
The county Board of Supervisors will determine whether the EIR is in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). If approved, the revisions will be filed with the court, allowing the county to continue its preparation for sediment removal.
The recirculated plans may be viewed by visiting dpw.lacounty.gov/lacfcd/sediment, clicking on “Devil’s Gate” under “Sediment Removal Projects” on the left, and then selecting “Recirculated Portions of the Final EIR” under “Project Details.”
Twitter: @SaraCardine
