Meeting Will Update City’s Temescal Stormwater Project

The L.A. Department of Public Works will hold a community meeting to update the Temescal Canyon Stormwater Project on Thursday, October 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The proposed $15.9-million system (funded through Prop O) will be located along Temescal Canyon Road (from south of Bowdoin Street to PCH) and capture rainstorm runoff from October through April. Construction will take about a year and yield three separate underground structures. During a storm, water will first drain into a diversion tank, then into a hydro-separator (which separates pollutants such as trash or oil from the rainwater). The debris would remain in the hydro-separator after the water flows into a 1.25-million-gallon holding tank under the playground picnic area, before traveling to the Hyperion Treatment Center. According to Department of Transportation engineer Mohammad H. Blorfroshan, the project will require road closures, including K-rails and restripping. Work is proposed for Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This project qualifies for a CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) exemption, which meant that an EIR (Environmental Impact Report) was not required. Because of community outcry, an Initial Study was done and that report is available for review at www.eng.lacity.org/techdocs/emg/Environmental_Review_Doc-uments.htm. A copy is available at the Palisades library, or a copy can be requested by calling Maria Martin at (213) 485-5753. According to Michelle Vargas, a Department of Public Works spokeswoman, ‘With the Initial Study, the City looked into the project further to determine if it may have any significant effect on the environment. The City determined that there are no significant impacts and proposes to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND).’ The City’s recommendation to adopt an MND, and all submitted public comments, will be reviewed by the Board of Public Works and the City Council.