While HACLA had originally promised to take protective measures, Harnden’s group has documented plenty of ways that promise has fallen by the wayside. The housing authority had shown people pictures of windscreens and tarp coverings to keep soil and other materials at bay — but many construction sites sit exposed. “What we’ve seen on the ground has been like night and day with what was shown to residents” in preliminary meetings, he said.
In response, Scanlin said, “There are numerous mitigations and practices imposed and followed by all contractors on site to contain and dispose of contaminants. Some but not all of these practices include the use of green screens, high walls and fences, tarping, regular watering of soil as well as the use of soil cement.”
One simple request residents have made is to turn on the water spigots, which they say have been reduced to a trickle or turned off entirely per HACLA’s drought policy. “Our lawns are so dry, and it makes it so that there’s a lot of dust in the air and the children track dust in the house,” Nuvia Perez said. The coalition has made the same demand.
In her emailed statement, HACLA’s Scanlin said, “The water has always been on at Jordan Downs and residents have the right to utilize the water for their lawns and plants. Residents can access water through the spigots outside their units and are requested to comply with LADWP water usage requirements for the City of Los Angeles.”
Thelmy Perez points out that HACLA has fitted working spigots with devices that staunch water flow to a thin tickle — not enough to water yards to mitigate dust or keep grass and trees alive. If residents tamper with the devices, she says, their spouts are sealed permanently.
Residents also want to see more transparency and communication. New families are moving in without being informed of the potential health risks, which means that many people may not know the steps they could take to protect themselves and their children from exposure. That would include, of course, comprehensive testing of both the soil and residents’ blood.
“I doubt that what we’re asking would add even one percent to the budget,” Harnden said. “It’s a crying shame that with that level of public investment we’re not investing in the health of the residents.”
On top of all of the health risks are the usual concerns that come with the redevelopment of public housing. Residents are worried about displacement and rising rents, particularly because any new units added as part of this project will be private, not public, housing. One study found that just 14 percent of the original residents of public housing complexes that were rebuilt through a government grant were still living in them after redevelopment.
“We’re worried we may not qualify for a unit or it’s going to be too expensive for us,” Cortez said. “I want to stay here. That’s why I’m fighting.”
Nuvia Perez also wants to stay at Jordan Downs. “I hope that they allow us to move to a safe place that is clean — the soil and the land and the air,” she said.
“What is the alternative for us?” she added. “To move back into a cramped space sharing quarters with another family? That’s not right for our kids, either.”
This post has been updated with a statement from HACLA as well as information from Thelmy Perez about water accessibility.
Article Appeared @https://thinkprogress.org/the-hidden-poisoning-of-poor-children-at-jordan-downs-43538899a4d1#.3gttjyewz