LAUSD Handling of Environmental Hazards

[Guest guest]

Saturday, October 2, 1999

The Local Review / DEVELOPMENTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Zacarias Outlines Steps on Environmental Hazards

LOS ANGELES--Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Zacarias has

outlined steps to address new criticism of the district's handling of

environmental hazards.

A report released this week said the environmental health and safety branch

put politics ahead of science in evaluating hazards, deleted findings

considered " too scary " for the community and sanitized information given to

outside investigators.

The report, by Public Interest Investigations Inc., also said other district

units, such as the real estate branch, influenced the environmental branch

to downplay environmental concerns regarding potential school sites.

" The entire district must be put on notice that minimizing environmental

concerns will not be tolerated, " Zacarias said Thursday.

Zacarias said that in recent months the district has transferred all

California Environmental Quality Act assessments from the real estate branch

to the environmental health and safety branch. It has also appointed a

former high-ranking Massachusetts environmental official to head the

environmental branch; appointed a safety team that has made tough,

no-nonsense reports to the board; and stripped the maintenance and

operations staff of all environmental oversight.