Saturday, Damien Goodmon, parents and students turned out to protest the Expo Line and the "environmental racism" they see in having the trains pass at surface level crossings adjacent to two local schools. Once again the rallying cry revolved around "the children," who will likely be mowed over by the trains as they pass by. Think of the children! Via KTLA:
"To have a street level grade train coming through here with the number of people that come through this community is a dangerous situation. It should be re-thought," said resident George McKenna. Damien Goodmon sent out another email this morning, promising "FIREWORKS" at this morning's California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) evidentiary hearing, where the two school-adjacent crossings will be discussed.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
There will be FIREWORKS at today's Expo Line hearing before the CPUC, which begins at 10 am and is at 320 W. 4th Street Suite 500, LA, CA
THE BRIEF:
The Expo Authority since February has been conducting a study on alternatives to the street-level railroad crossing at Farmdale right by Dorsey HS. Since April, both our attorneys and the LAUSD lawyers have been requesting the study. Expo has refused to supply it, including during discovery. They were ordered to supply it by the Judge and still they have not. Yet, in June Expo produced testimony stating that this study showed that closing off Farmdale and building a pedestrian bridge was not possible because it would have adverse traffic impacts on the adjacent crossing of Buckingham that could not be mitigated and would not comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Again we requested the study and they failed to supply it.
The LAUSD and our attorneys supplied our testimony in response to Expo's testimony August 6 and July 30 respectively.
Our lawyers filed a request for a continuance on Thursday because of the failure of Expo to supply the document, along with motions to eliminate from the record any reference of Expo's witnesses to the study since Expo refused to supply it. The same day, the Judge denied the request for the continuance, and stated the other matters would be addressed on Monday.
On Friday night at 7:30 pm Expo sent amended testimony COMPLETELY REVERSING their position that they could not close Farmdale and on Saturday night they submitted another 75 pg document showing how it would legally comply with CEQA.
Everyone is livid.
The LAUSD is quite clear in their statement filed last night, which is attached:
"We can reasonably infer from such changes in Expo's Friday night revised testimony that the 'draft' traffic study found adverse impacts that would have to mitigated, so Expo commissioned another study to reach a conclusion more to its liking."
Accordingly, the LAUSD has requested they be supplied all of Expo's draft studies to determine the extent of the manipulation by the Expo Authority:
"These studies will provide a window into Expo's apparent manipulation of technical studies to serve its litigation interests in this case. To the extent is shows that Expo has suppressed studies with conclusions not to its liking and has commissioned other studies that later the assumptions or methodologies to arrive at different conclusions, that practice is highly relevant to the weight this Commission should give to Expo's witnesses' testimony. To ignore such practices and to accept the project proponent's technical assertions at face value would make a mockery of this hearing."
The extent to which this CPUC is a Kangaroo court will quickly be determined. Our attorneys have said in their combined over 75 years of practice they've never been subjected to such an egregious violation of due process.
· Parents, Students Protest Light-Rail Line [ktla]
· CPUC Commits to Move Expo Line Hearing to LA [LA Watts Times]
· Expo Line Fight Archives [Curbed LA]
Loading comments...