Los Angeles wants a judge to throw out a mass-action lawsuit related to the July 2021 sewage spill at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, though the request is a standard one among defendants during the early stages of civil cases.It’s unknown when the hearing on whether to dismiss or proceed with the case will occur. It had initially been set for June 12, but was postponed and, as of Wednesday, June 21, had yet to be rescheduled, said Patricia Oliver, a lead attorney for the plaintiffs.
Hyperion officials, though, have said in the past they remain committed to fixing all lingering issues at the plant and addressing complaints from El Segundo residents, who have repeatedly reported having headaches, nausea and other health issues. The community has attributed those health problems to hydrogen sulfide emanating from the plant.
Hyperion is the largest and oldest wastewater plant in Los Angeles. The 144-acre plant handles about 260 million gallons of wastewater daily., which sift through debris, became clogged. The plant started flooding. And with Hyperion at risk of “nearly catastrophic failure,” plant officials, in an effort to prevent the entire facility from going offline, decided to release 17 million gallons of raw sewage into the ocean.
And while the initial stench has waned over time, El Segundo residents and city officials say it has not been eradicated — and neither has the resulting health issues. El Segundo, in fact, declared a local state of emergency in September related to the ongoing odor.The complaint, filed jointly by Parris Law Firm and Bloom Injury Law, seeks to recover losses related to residents not being able to fully use their properties and continued physical ailments because of the odors, Oliver said.