Pasadena's "Stop Toxic Housing" is diligently opposing the actions of developer Trammel Crow, the nation's largest commercial developer, in its refusal to clean former naval weapons site 3200 East Foothill Boulevard to safety standards. At-risk are the site's future tenants; the 550 unit development will include 69 units of affordable housing. We support affordable housing that is non-toxic.
By signing this letter to City Council with your local Pasadena address, please lend your support to non-toxic, affordable housing in Pasadena!
Due to its past as a site of naval weapons development, 3200 East Foothill Boulevard contains toxin levels up to a million times higher than allowed by California environmental protection laws. They can cause cancer, birth defects, and damage to the brain, kidneys, multiple other organs, and are especially harmful to children. California regulators called the site "an imminent and substantial" danger.
Trammell Crow is claiming to do full cleanup, but its own scientific documents show the opposite. For instance, because full cleanup "would be a costly and time-intensive process," Trammell Crow's own approved documents allow it to leave carcinogens, solvents like trichloroethylene (TCE), onsite at 26,000 times higher than the state standard—the level needed to prevent cancer and birth defects.
The state regulator is allowing Trammell Crow to spend only $1 million for partial Pasadena cleanup. Given the price of nearby commercial properties, Trammell Crow appears to be buying the toxic site for up to an $85-million discount, a 70% discount, likely because of its contamination. Why isn't Trammell Crow spending more of its apparent, $85-million savings on-site cleanup that would protect our community?
Our position is that we support affordable housing but not toxic housing.
We ask that City Council
1) withdraw its July 2018 approval of the Sustainable Communities Environmental Assessment (SCEA) and Removal Action Workplan (RAW), which is an appendix to the SCEA
2) re-assert its authority over the SCEA and RAW, and
3) require city re-approval of a new SCEA and RAW, after the City Council and city residents have a chance to review the site testing plans for TNT, RDX, and PFAS, and after the City Council and city residents have a chance to review the site cleanup plans for three classes of chemicals, because current cleanup plans are not adequate for these new toxins.
