(Please scroll to the bottom to read the latest)
·
March 8,
Pali Post, Viewpoint, “DWP Station Risks Children’s Safety” by Marc and Tami
Zussman
Last week, the LADWP announced plans to install a new power station in Pacific Palisades. DWP’s target location — undeveloped property adjacent to Marquez Charter Elementary School. Although details have not been officially released, discussions between community members and DWP suggest the installation may comprise multiple buildings spread over the site.
DWP asserts the station is needed because the existing Village substation is operating beyond capacity. Our nation’s increasing energy demand is a fact, and the urgency toward renewable energy is a whole other conversation. The fact is this community can use the additional capacity. But not at the expense of a top-ranked school, and its young students.
At DWP’s Town Hall last week, numerous Palisadians raised grave environmental and health concerns about putting the proposed station beside Marquez Charter — including risk of explosions/fire and childhood leukemia associated with electromagnetic fields (“EMF”). Some may debate the probability of such an incident or illness striking, but no one can dispute the potentially catastrophic nature of the consequences, should such an explosion or rash of childhood leukemia strike. Bottom line – placing this risky facility next to an elementary school defies common sense. Next to Marquez Charter is clearly the worst possible choice of location.
DWP brought up other previously considered other locations, such as Los Liones. Many have devoted decades to preserve this area. Thus, Los Liones is also a poor choice.
Some say, “There is a sign at the Marquez site stating DWP may build a substation there. By moving into the area, residents implicitly agreed to expose their families to the associated risks.” The site’s surrounding homes were built in the 1950s. DWP acquired the property by eminent domain around 1971, with no or little public input. Subsequently, a sign was erected on the property stating the site would be used for a future distributing station. No one in the 1970s could have foreseen the nature of what is being proposed today. Additionally, the health risks associated with EMF were not known at the time DWP acquired the property. Today, decades later, the risks have been established. DWP’s own website advises consumers to “. . .limit [their] exposure to [EMF].”
Last week, the LADWP announced plans to install a new power station in Pacific Palisades. DWP’s target location — undeveloped property adjacent to Marquez Charter Elementary School. Although details have not been officially released, discussions between community members and DWP suggest the installation may comprise multiple buildings spread over the site.
DWP asserts the station is needed because the existing Village substation is operating beyond capacity. Our nation’s increasing energy demand is a fact, and the urgency toward renewable energy is a whole other conversation. The fact is this community can use the additional capacity. But not at the expense of a top-ranked school, and its young students.
At DWP’s Town Hall last week, numerous Palisadians raised grave environmental and health concerns about putting the proposed station beside Marquez Charter — including risk of explosions/fire and childhood leukemia associated with electromagnetic fields (“EMF”). Some may debate the probability of such an incident or illness striking, but no one can dispute the potentially catastrophic nature of the consequences, should such an explosion or rash of childhood leukemia strike. Bottom line – placing this risky facility next to an elementary school defies common sense. Next to Marquez Charter is clearly the worst possible choice of location.
DWP brought up other previously considered other locations, such as Los Liones. Many have devoted decades to preserve this area. Thus, Los Liones is also a poor choice.
Some say, “There is a sign at the Marquez site stating DWP may build a substation there. By moving into the area, residents implicitly agreed to expose their families to the associated risks.” The site’s surrounding homes were built in the 1950s. DWP acquired the property by eminent domain around 1971, with no or little public input. Subsequently, a sign was erected on the property stating the site would be used for a future distributing station. No one in the 1970s could have foreseen the nature of what is being proposed today. Additionally, the health risks associated with EMF were not known at the time DWP acquired the property. Today, decades later, the risks have been established. DWP’s own website advises consumers to “. . .limit [their] exposure to [EMF].”
Viewing this as merely an issue between DWP and a few area residents is
sadly myopic and regrettable. This is about the 600+ children who
currently attend Marquez Charter and the countless children who will do
so in the future. There are also two (2) preschools one block east of
Marquez Charter. They are the ones who will forcibly be exposed to the
risks of being very close to a power station 7-10 hours a day, five days
a week, year after year. The children come from upper and lower
Marquez Knolls. They come from as far away as the Highlands, Pacific
View Estates, Castellemare, and the Bienvenida Bluffs. Those who have
the means are already saying they will send their children to private
school, and many others will do what they can to move their children to
other area schools, should the station be built. If they do so, it is
the community that stands to lose. We stand to ruin a top-ranking
charter school, which many have labored to make a pride of the
community.
DWP must serve us better than this. We, as a community, must do better than this. We must do the right thing, and the time to act is now. We must tell DWP and our representatives – No Power Station Next to Marquez Charter. And, we must all pitch in to find an alternative location that does not put hundreds of children at risk.
DWP must serve us better than this. We, as a community, must do better than this. We must do the right thing, and the time to act is now. We must tell DWP and our representatives – No Power Station Next to Marquez Charter. And, we must all pitch in to find an alternative location that does not put hundreds of children at risk.
- submitted by Marc and Tami Zussman
(Marc and Tami Zussman have two children who attended Marquez Charter from kindergarten through fifth grade,
one child who currently attends the school, and another who will start there in the fall. )
one child who currently attends the school, and another who will start there in the fall. )
·
March 15,
Pali Post, Letter to the Editor, “LADWP Substation Opposed Next to Marquez
Elementary School” by Greg Roberts and Other Concerned Parents
At
LADWP’s Town Hall last week, numerous Palisadians raised environmental and
health concerns about putting the proposed substation beside Marquez Elementary
School. As parents of children attending Marquez Elementary we are very
concerned that the LADWP would even consider putting a substation next to a
school when there are other options available. There are about the 600+
children who currently attend Marquez Charter and countless children who will
do so in the future. They are the ones who will be exposed to the risks
of being very close to a power sub station 7-10 hours a day, five days a week,
year after year. The children that attend Marquez come from the following
neighborhoods; Marquez Knolls, The Highlands, Sunset Mesa, Pacific View
Estates, Castellemare, and the Bienvenida Bluffs.
With Electro Magnetic Fields the
closer children are to the substation the more exposure they have. Children are
not small adults, their anatomy and physiology is different. Their ability to
combat diseases and exposure are different and they have an increased
vulnerability to Electro Magnetic Fields. The Environmental Protection Agency
cautions citizens that there is reason for concern and advises prudent
avoidance of high voltage power lines. The California Department of health and
the World Health Organization concluded that Electro Magnetic Fields were
responsible for an increase in childhood leukemia, brain tumors, birth defects
and lymphoma.
The
California Department of Education has a school site selection and approval
guide that was updated on January 24, 2012 which states the Screening and
Ranking Criteria. 1. Safety 2. Location 3. Environment 10. Cost and 12. Public Acceptance. The
California Department of Education in consultation with the State Department of
Health Services and electric power companies has established limits for
locating any part of a new school site property near high voltage power lines. Ours is not a new school but a new power
plant should take the same consideration as a new school for the health and
safety of our children. For lines carrying 50kV-133 kilovolts the
setback is 100 feet from the edge of an easement. The LADWP states that the
proposed site would be 36kV so there should be some type of setback to protect
our children.
The
LADWP also brought up other possible locations, such as behind the fire station
at Los Liones State Park. Our fellow Palisadians and te Temescal Canyon
Preservation Association have devoted decades to preserving this area and we
believe this is a also a poor choice for the location of a power
substation. We believe the LADWP should
look for an alternative location for the new substation or improve the existing
one.
- submitted by Greg Roberts and Other Concerned
Parents of Marquez Elementary School
·
March 22,
Pali Post, Opinion, “Residents Must Help LADWP Find a Site” by Christy Dennis
·
March 22,
Pali Post, Letter to the Editor, “Parents Warm of DWP Fire Hazards” by Rachael
S. Wexler and Kaye E. Steinsapir, Pacific Palisades residents and future
Marquez Charter parents
We are writing to express our vehement opposition to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (“DWP”) plan to construct a new electrical distribution power station on Marquez Avenue, immediately adjacent to Marquez Charter Elementary School. Over 600 young children currently attend Marquez Charter, thousands more will attend in the future. Locating an electrical distribution station next to the school and on top of a canyon of vegetation will place our children, our teachers, our school and residents in palpable danger.
In addition to the health risks previously noted by the Palisades Post, fire hazard and inadequate fire safety access for this location and area rank among the top. Explosions and fires are sparked by transformers at power stations each and every day. The danger to our young children is real. The facts speak for themselves:
A simple Google search will add pages and pages to this list.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection places Marquez Elementary and the proposed site for DWP’s power station in the red zone for fire risk, zoning it in the highest risk category for a Fire Hazard Zone. This was confirmed recently by California’s Fire and Resource Assessment Program.
Importantly, our area’s fire fighting resources have been substantially reduced. As our Councilman Rosendahl pointed out in 2011 when he opposed the threatened closure of Fire Station 69, "To get into the Palisades there is only two ways. God forbid that we need the Jaws of Life and that we need to save a structure and people’s lives and can’t get a truck there fast enough. That’s the big issue, it’s a matter of timing . . . we are already the most gridlocked district in the city . . . .”
These factors make it clearly inadvisable to locate an electrical power distribution on Marquez Avenue adjacent to Marquez Charter with hundreds of children and on top of a canyon of vegetation that can easily catch fire. We urge our community, our leaders and DWP to find an alternate site where risks to our public school children are minimized.
Dear Editor:
We are writing to express our vehement opposition to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (“DWP”) plan to construct a new electrical distribution power station on Marquez Avenue, immediately adjacent to Marquez Charter Elementary School. Over 600 young children currently attend Marquez Charter, thousands more will attend in the future. Locating an electrical distribution station next to the school and on top of a canyon of vegetation will place our children, our teachers, our school and residents in palpable danger.
In addition to the health risks previously noted by the Palisades Post, fire hazard and inadequate fire safety access for this location and area rank among the top. Explosions and fires are sparked by transformers at power stations each and every day. The danger to our young children is real. The facts speak for themselves:
- On March 8, 2012, thousands of workers were evacuated from buildings near Penn Station when a Con Ed transformer caught fire. Some 2,500 people were cleared out of several buildings after the smoky fire erupted near 333 West 33rd St. near Ninth Avenue. Two people were hospitalized, and several others were treated for smoke inhalation. People were barred from entering the building, behind the fire scene, three hours after the blaze began because authorities detected high levels of carbon monoxide inside.
- On March 6, 2012, a transformer sparked a brush fire in Caddo Parish, LA. Firefighters battled a blazing fire. It took hours to contain the main fire and crews fought pop-up fires for hours after that.
- On February 19, 2012, in Oak Hills, CA (San Bernardino County), an electrical substation exploded and a large amount of mineral oil caught fire, burning for nearly 10 hours. Evacuations were necessary.
- On February 20, 2012, in Hesperia, CA, oil filled an electrical transformer sparking a fire to burn for nearly seven hours, resulting in multiple explosions and sending dense black smoke into the air.
- On June 6, 2011, a stubborn transformer fire in Redmond, WA, flamed for over 5 hours, consuming surrounding vegetation as it spread. Several schools were closed and foam used to fight the flames flowed into the water source, impairing water quality and closing some public areas indefinitely.
A simple Google search will add pages and pages to this list.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection places Marquez Elementary and the proposed site for DWP’s power station in the red zone for fire risk, zoning it in the highest risk category for a Fire Hazard Zone. This was confirmed recently by California’s Fire and Resource Assessment Program.
Importantly, our area’s fire fighting resources have been substantially reduced. As our Councilman Rosendahl pointed out in 2011 when he opposed the threatened closure of Fire Station 69, "To get into the Palisades there is only two ways. God forbid that we need the Jaws of Life and that we need to save a structure and people’s lives and can’t get a truck there fast enough. That’s the big issue, it’s a matter of timing . . . we are already the most gridlocked district in the city . . . .”
These factors make it clearly inadvisable to locate an electrical power distribution on Marquez Avenue adjacent to Marquez Charter with hundreds of children and on top of a canyon of vegetation that can easily catch fire. We urge our community, our leaders and DWP to find an alternate site where risks to our public school children are minimized.
- submitted by Rachael S. Wexler and Kaye E. Steinsapir
(Pacific Palisades Residents and future Marquez Charter parents)
·
March 29,
Pali Post, Viewpoint, “Marquez Group Meets with DWP, Rosendahl,” by Coalition
of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
Dear Editor,
Since the Los Angeles Department of Water Power (“DWP”) announced its plans to install an power distribution station immediately adjacent to Marquez Charter Elementary School, many members of the community have mobilized to form the Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe (the “Coalition”). The Coalition is a group of parents and community members who feel passionately about keeping Marquez Charter and the surrounding area safe for students, children and everyone in the community. The Coalition is vehemently opposed to the proposed power station next to Marquez Charter.
Last Thursday, March 22, 2012, seven Coalition representatives met with Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, his staff, and a 4-person delegation from DWP to discuss their concerns and opposition against the proposed Marquez site for the DWP power station. The Coalition underscored:
At the conclusion of the meeting, Councilmember Rosendahl stated that he understood the Coalition’s concerns. He further observed that the Coalition representatives are educated and informed, organized and empowered, passionate and dedicated, such that DWP would be well advised to avoid a dispute over the site next to Marquez Charter. Councilmember Rosendahl ultimately advised DWP to turn its attention to securing an alternate site, and urged DWP to share more detailed specifications so that the Coalition could meaningfully assist DWP to locate alternate sites.
Dear Editor,
Since the Los Angeles Department of Water Power (“DWP”) announced its plans to install an power distribution station immediately adjacent to Marquez Charter Elementary School, many members of the community have mobilized to form the Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe (the “Coalition”). The Coalition is a group of parents and community members who feel passionately about keeping Marquez Charter and the surrounding area safe for students, children and everyone in the community. The Coalition is vehemently opposed to the proposed power station next to Marquez Charter.
Last Thursday, March 22, 2012, seven Coalition representatives met with Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, his staff, and a 4-person delegation from DWP to discuss their concerns and opposition against the proposed Marquez site for the DWP power station. The Coalition underscored:
- Children’s Safety First – The community’s moral and civic duty to protect public school children from any risk of harm, especially when such risks are avoidable.
- Inherent Fire Hazards of Power Distribution Stations and Inadequate Fire Safety Access to the Marquez Site – Distribution station fires and transformer explosions are commonplace across the nation. In an area already designated as the highest risk “red” fire zone, any such emergency would be difficult to contain. Coupled with our recent firefighting resource cutbacks, placing a power station next to Marquez Charter is a risk not worth taking on our children.
- Children’s Health Risks – The City cannot afford to experiment with the documented increased risk of childhood leukemia, asthma and other ailments associated with electro-magnetic fields. It is unacceptable to impose such risk upon each Marquez Charter student who will endure 6 years of consistent and daily exposure to significant electro-magnetic fields.
- The Coalition’s Commitment – The Coalition is committed to use all lawful means to oppose DWP’s proposed power station at the Marquez site, including but not limited to litigation.
- Alternative Sites – Since the DWP’s initial announcement of the proposed power station at the Marquez site, the public has presented DWP with a number of other potential sites that would have less impact to school children and residents. At last Thursday’s meeting, DWP delegates clarified that it is looking for at least 1 acre of flat land (or at least 1.5 acres of non-flat land)
At the conclusion of the meeting, Councilmember Rosendahl stated that he understood the Coalition’s concerns. He further observed that the Coalition representatives are educated and informed, organized and empowered, passionate and dedicated, such that DWP would be well advised to avoid a dispute over the site next to Marquez Charter. Councilmember Rosendahl ultimately advised DWP to turn its attention to securing an alternate site, and urged DWP to share more detailed specifications so that the Coalition could meaningfully assist DWP to locate alternate sites.
- Submitted by Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe – advocating “Children’s Safety First!”
·
April 12,
Pali Post, Letters, “Readers Should Worry About DWP Substation,” by Danielle
Samulon, on behalf of the Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
Last week, two contributors minimized health risks concerning the
proposed Marquez power station site. One mentioned research from 1969
showing “insufficient evidence” of EMF health risks. Today, we know better.
In 1998, the World Health Organization recognized EMFs as a “possible
human carcinogen.” In 1999, the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences stated 5%-15% of childhood leukemia could be caused by
EMFs, and in 2002, recognized epidemiological studies showing a “fairly
consistent pattern” associating childhood leukemia with EMF exposure.
The other contributor indicated that over half a century ago DWP put
a power station near another school, so it would therefore be OK to put
a large new one next to Marquez Charter today. Fifty years ago,
smoking cigarettes, exposing children to led paint, and driving without
car-seats/seat-belts were considered acceptable. The fact that mistakes
were made in the past does not make it OK to knowingly repeat them in
the future. Beyond health risks, both contributors ignored the
Marquez site's location in a "red" fire hazard zone, which, coupled with
the power station's inherent explosion risks, makes the site
particularly alarming. This and other situations affecting children’s
health and safety in the community should be of concern to us all.
- Submitted by Danielle Samulon, Esq., on behalf of the Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
·
April 26,
Pali Post, Letters to the Editor, “Message to DWP: Take the Marquez Substation
Site Off the Table Now!” by Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter
Safe
- Submitted by Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
Dear Editor,
As the Palisades Post
reported last week, LA School Board members Steve Zimmer and Bennett Kayser,
staff from the LAUSD Office of Environmental Health & Safety, and Norm
Kulla on behalf of Councilman Bill Rosendahl, voiced their unanimous objection
to DWP’s proposal to install a distribution station next to Marquez Charter at
our latest community meeting hosted by Mr. Zimmer. In a letter, LAUSD Superintendent Dr. John
Deasy also urged DWP General Manager Ron Nichols to “eliminate [the Marquez]
site from further consideration.”
In follow-up, we must call on
our representatives to translate those words of support into decisive action –
“Take the Marquez Site Off the Table Now.”
So that parents, teachers,
and the principal can return focus to school programming, learning, and
fundraising before current parents transfer their kids elsewhere, and before
parents of prospective kindergarteners enroll their kids at other schools. Take Marquez off the table before it is too
late.
Merely saying “DPW is looking
for alternatives” is not enough. The
DWP’s search for an alternative site can continue after Marquez is taken off
the table.
We realize that some may fear
taking Marquez off the table will re-focus attention on the area behind Fire
Station 23. From the start, we have maintained
that area is also an inappropriate site because it is near other schools. We invite anyone who cares for children’s
well-being to stand together to compel DWP to find another location that is away
from any school – public or private, preschool or elementary. Let us not be divided and conquered. DWP has wide discretion to swap lands,
sell the Marquez site and use the proceeds to purchase an appropriate
site. We implore this community to do the right thing by all of
our kids.
- Submitted by Coalition of Palisadians to Keep Marquez Charter Safe
·
April 26,
Pali Post, Letters, “A Suggested Alternative Site for DWP Station” by Lou Del
Pozzo
· June 12, Pali Patch, “DWP Community Committee Discussed at Town Hall Meeting”
August 30, Pali Post, Letter to the Editor, “Marquez Group Investigates DWP Documents on Distribution Station”
Sept. 9, Pali Post, "DWP Names 11 Residents to Task Force"
Sept 6, Pali Post, “DWP Distribution Station Search Has A Long History”
Sept 6, Pali Post, Letter to the Editor, "Community Council Board Raises Concerns about Task Force Process"
Sept 6, Pali Post, Viewpoint, "Apple Pie Versus Motherhood Fight" (see image below)
Sept 6, Pali Post, Letters, "Los Liones Defender" (see image above)
August 30, Pali Post, Letter to the Editor, “Marquez Group Investigates DWP Documents on Distribution Station”
Sept. 9, Pali Post, "DWP Names 11 Residents to Task Force" Sept 6, Pali Post, “DWP Distribution Station Search Has A Long History”
Sept 6, Pali Post, Letter to the Editor, "Community Council Board Raises Concerns about Task Force Process"
Sept 6, Pali Post, Viewpoint, "Apple Pie Versus Motherhood Fight" (see image below)
