Legislator commends local and state agencies for addressing environmental safety concerns in Mecca
(MECCA, CA.) – After formally requesting the involvement of the California State Department of Toxic Control, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Riverside County Department of Environment Health —the County of Riverside has formally acted upon on Assemblymember Garcia’s request and launched various cleanup efforts in the community of Mecca at the old abandoned grape fields near Avenue 64 and Dale Kiler Road. The cleanups are being done as result of the numerous brushfires that have recently occurred at the fields which contained old contaminated grape stakes.
“I applaud the recent actions by county, state, and federal regulators in response to the concerns we’ve raised about the health threats posed by the numerous brushfires in Mecca. When constituents first contacted my Indio office in January about their concerns on a property that contained old contaminated grape stakes with high levels of arsenic, copper and chromium-- I immediately contacted the State Department of Toxic Substance Control and CalEPA to address this health issue,” said Assemblymember Garcia.
The Mecca cleanup efforts are expected to last up to 10 days and will include the use of a high-powered industrial vacuum that will remove the contaminated soil and burned brush from the given area.
“I am in discussions with the State Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials regarding the next steps to making sure this doesn’t happen again in our communities,” said Garcia.
Representatives from Assemblymember Garcia’s office, the State Department of Toxic Control, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Riverside County Department of Environment Health are coordinating the remaining cleanup efforts at the 40 acre parcel as well as the adjacent 20-acre parcel in Mecca.
###
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) serves as the Chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy. He represents the 56th district, which comprises the cities and communities of Blythe, Brawley, Bermuda Dunes, Calexico, Calipatria, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Oasis, North Shore, Salton Sea, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Westmorland.
