El Segundo calls for director of LA agency overseeing Hyperion to be removed

El Segundo officials have called for new leadership at the adjacent Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, accusing the Los Angeles facility’s operator of negligence and mismanagement.

City officials, in a recent letter sent to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, demanded Barbara Romero be removed from her role as director and general manager of Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment, the agency that oversees Hyperion. In the letter, El Segundo cited “grave concerns” that Hyperion officials have been “willfully misinforming” the public about odor-causing activities at the plant.

Zachary Seidl, Bass’ spokesperson, said this week that the mayor’s team is in the process of reviewing the letter. LASAN communication officials, said earlier this week that they would respond to requests for comment on Romero’s behalf. But despite follow-up requests, they ultimately did not do so as of Friday evening.

Hydrogen sulfide odors stemming from a 2021 sewage spill at Hyperion — the largest and oldest wastewater facility in the region — have continued to plague the surrounding community, with residents complaining about headaches, nausea and other maladies as the smell has continued.

Romero was hired the same month the spill happened.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District, the region’s air quality watchdog, has issued Hyperion 70 notices of violation related to those odors over the past 2.5 years.

But, according to El Segundo’s letter, there continues to be multiple compliance and equipment failures at Hyperion. Hyperion officials, for their part, have repeatedly said they are committed to rectifying issues — and have, in fact, undertaken multiple repairs in recent months.

“Our city has been plagued by the failures in leadership and maintenance at Hyperion for over 2.5 years,” El Segundo Mayor Drew Boyles wrote in the letter, “but the activity at the plant over the past few weeks is nothing short of willful negligence and a breach of public…