Exclusive 2019 Update: VICTORY AT THE VA – West LA Veterans Administration master plan protects old nuclear dump from development
It wasn’t clear where the Core Probe team were drilling on this Friday. The men seemed to be aggregating black bags that were then dumped into barrels. Plastic coring tubes were also bunched for disposal or recycling. As the men won’t talk to the media, and the VA failing to return any inquiries from EnviroReporter.com or the LA Weekly, we have no way of confirming if the material in the black bags was surficial refuse that was suspect, or if it was from drilling.
The men were also packing up the Geoprobe on a trailer to transport it offsite for over the weekend. The self-propelled machine is heavy and attempts to haul it out of the dump generated clouds of dust. The machine itself generated dust in the site when propelling itself as well. During all of this activity, no worker was seen wearing a face mask to protect against the dust.
Considering the well-documented history of the dump, the question of whether the workers were adequately protected led to the question of jurisdiction and rules. Since EnviroReporter.com‘s initial revelations of the dump broke in May 2006, new metal signs went up surrounding the larger dump site (see below). They read “California Integrated Waste Management Board – Title 27, California Code of Regulations 21135.” While the specific code on the sign relates to how signs like this are displayed, the Title 27 regulations that dictate what happens at an old nuclear and chemical dump like this were surprising in light of the state of the dump. EnviroReporter.com will be exploring these issues in upcoming articles and posts.
This gate to the dump adjacent MacArthur Field has been open for days.
Worker in dump, walking near the atomic tombstones, is dusted by the Geoprobe as it drives towards its towing trailer.
Loading the Geoprobe onto a trailer.
These black bags aroused our curiousity, which was satisfied the following week.
The mysterious drain debris mounds, where we found lab tubing in 2006, lay undisturbed and unprobed.
This sign shows that the dump is governed by state rules on toxic waste sites.
"Jay" stuffing something into barrels.
The following photos show how hard it was to tow the Geoprobe up a dirt incline out of the dump proper.
The clouds of dust generated enveloped one worker giving directions to the truck driver.
This dust blew towards the lower soccer field at Brentwood School.
No school soccer players were on the field at the time.
Watching this man in the dust cloud made us wonder about what those state laws said about a dump like this.
Finally, the men were successful.
The Geoprobe was then towed out of the site for the weekend through the West LA VA by MacArthur Field.
Exclusive 2019 Update: VICTORY AT THE VA – West LA Veterans Administration master plan protects old nuclear dump from development
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