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By Isobel Charle
December 16, 2024
Environmental groups are calling for the immediate closure of Los Angeles County’s Walnut Creek Energy Park, because of potentially dangerous levels of emissions.
A new report finds the gas-fired power plant has repeatedly shown levels of nitrogen oxide that are close to, or above, national air-quality standards.
The report, commissioned by the Sierra Club and the California Environmental Justice Alliance, lists Walnut Creek as the highest-risk facility in the state – among eight other gas-fired power plants.
Jordan Salcido, a community organizer with the LA County Youth Climate Commission, lives within a mile of the plant.
She said many of her neighbors might not realize how close they are to these pollutants.
“There definitely is a cluster of industry,” said Salcido, “but it’s right in the heart and in the center of people’s lives and where they live and work and play and raise their families.”
The Environmental Protection Agency says exposure to nitrogen oxide may contribute to the development of asthma, increased risk of respiratory infections and can lead to hospital visits.
The community around the plant, which is 80% Hispanic, already faces some of California’s highest pollution levels.
The report says a nearby railroad, warehouses, and the 60 Freeway likely add to the nitrogen oxide emissions in the area.
Salcido said she has heard plenty of stories of neighbors getting sick, even before the plant opened.
“They’ve seen generations of family members have chronic illnesses and asthma and cancer,” said Salcido. “And so, they know firsthand what that’s like.”
The report says part of the problem is that public access to information and emissions data from California gas plants is limited.
Salcido said community members have a lot of questions about potential harm from the pollution, and that information is hard to come by. She said regulators are failing to do their jobs.
“We shouldn’t have to dig through websites and dig through documents to find information that’s relevant to us,” said Salcido. “It should be something that is accessible, is easy to understand, is readily available in multiple languages.”