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.
The plaintiffs have pushed back on the legal reasoning behind the city’s request for dismissal.
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.
The lawsuit was filed in January 2022 in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of more than 700 El Segundo residents who say they have suffered physically and mentally from the spill’s aftermath. Hyperion is adjacent to El Segundo.
The suit accuses Hyperion’s operator, Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment, of negligence, arguing that the agency’s dereliction led to the massive spill, which closed LA County beaches for several days and ultimately exposed El Segundo residents to noxious gases. LASAN and the city of Los Angeles — which oversees that agency — are both named in the lawsuit.
LASAN spokesperson Elena Stern said the agency cannot comment on pending litigation. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office also declined to comment.
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.
“The folks who have lived here the last two years,” Oliver said, “have gone through numerous stages of noxious odors.”
The ongoing controversy surrounding Hyperion began nearly two years ago, when the headworks facility at the plant became overwhelmed with debris.
Hyperion is…
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