Los Angeles faces $21.7 million fine for sewage spill at Hyperion facility
Eden Villalovas
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The city of Los Angeles may be fined $21.7 million for a sewage spill that happened almost two years ago at the Hyperion water reclamation plant, officials said.
The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board issued the request on Monday, April 3, for multiple permit violations after dumping millions of gallons of sewage into the Santa Monica Bay, where the oldest and largest wastewater treatment facility is located.
50,000-GALLON SEWAGE SPILL CLOSES OFF ORANGE COUNTY BEACHES
The spill occurred in July 2021 and resulted in noxious fumes and water-quality problems that are still not resolved.
On July 11, 2021, the plant’s bar screens and chopper pumps crashed, causing thick debris to flood the plant. The alarm system went off at about 2 p.m., but operators did not acknowledge it, causing wastewater to flow onto the plant’s internal streets.
The hefty fines come as Hyperion reported more than 150 violations of its environmental permit. The Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment, the agency that oversees Hyperion, violations include failing to perform offshore water sampling, not reporting and monitoring problems at the site, allowing strong odors to persist at the plant, and dumping excessive amounts of untreated wastewater.
“Short-term health impacts from the incident persisted for weeks, with residents complaining of skin rashes, headaches, nausea and noxious odors,” the statement read. “The extent of the sewage spill also resulted in multiple beach closures.”
Hugh Marley, assistant executive officer of the Los Angeles Water Board, said this was one of the largest spills in the area in decades.
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“The direct and associated impacts from the unauthorized discharge of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the ocean threatened the health of nearby communities, as well as fish and wildlife, and violated numerous environmental laws and regulations,” Marley wrote.
The hearing is not yet scheduled, but the board is required to comply with the case within three months unless both parties state otherwise.