REP LIEU COMMENDS EPA ACTION TO HELP WITH HYPERION IMPROVEMENTS

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it had entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with the City of Los Angeles and LA Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) mandating Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant resiliency enhancements. The agreement comes after 17 million gallons of sewage were discharged into the Santa Monica Bay following a catastrophic failure at the plant in 2021. Following the incident, Congressman Lieu urged the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to investigate the circumstances of the discharge and he has continued to press officials to rectify the situation. Additionally, in 2023, Congressman Lieu secured nearly $3.5 million in federal funding directed to modernize the plant and prevent sewage spills.

 “I’m pleased to see that the EPA will help facilitate necessary improvements to the Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant so that we can safeguard against plant failures like the one that occurred in 2021. I wrote a letter in 2021 when the discharge first happened to urge the EPA and NOAA to take action. I appreciate greatly that city and federal officials are working together to redress this issue. Sewage spills can be incredibly dangerous for local residents and wildlife, which is why these improvements are needed to ensure the plant is more resilient and better suited to prevent future disasters."

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