Yesterday morning the first cracks in the LA County fortress appeared. At the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles, a group of 20 people representing Urbanwild Network attended the Board meeting with the County Supervisors to ask that Supervisor Antonovich's motion to require the DPW to obtain an EIR for the Hahamonga Sediment Removal Project be passed.Speaking on behalf of the DPW in front of the Board were DPW Director Gail Farber and Deputy Director Mark Pastrella. Their position was basically that there is significant public safety risk that must be mitigated as an emergency measure due to the impact of the Station Fire, and that lives and property were at risk. There was a group of DPW people present for this argument.
Antonovich spokesman Tony Bell then made sure that everyone in the Urbanwild Network was signed up to speak in favor of the motion because he felt that public input was critically necessary in this case. Each person spoke earnestly and rationally for the need for an EIR to address the impacts on the Hahamongna riparian habitat that have been pushed aside by the DPW in the declaration of emergency.
And in this way the Urbanwild Network carried the day. The facade fissured, and the motion passed.
Update 3/3/11: The Save Hahamongna group has posted more background on this achievement.
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