The Los Angeles City Council unanimously (recorded 13 ayes on the roll) waived its right to exercise jurisdiction over Department of Water and Power action and approved a resolution allowing the DWP to proceed with a partial consent decree pertaining to a portion of the Operating Industries, Inc. Superfund site.

Why it matters: The partial consent decree governs sale and remediation arrangements for part of the Operating Industries property in Monterey Park; the sale proceeds and responsible parties’ obligations are tied to site remediation and to the mechanics of how the property will be developed. The transcript shows the council moved quickly after the city attorney’s office said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required paperwork by the coming Monday to preserve the city’s rights under the agreement.

Deputy City Attorney Roberta Charlinsen explained the request, saying the DWP Board of Water and Power Commissioners had on August 1 approved execution of a seventh partial consent decree in the Operating Industries matter, designated a trustee for a custodial trust, and authorized the city attorney to execute final trust forms. Under the city’s new charter, the council may waive taking jurisdiction; the motion before the council waived jurisdiction so the DWP action could become final. The transcript records the city attorney’s office saying the EPA had moved earlier deadlines and the paperwork was needed by Monday to keep the city’s participation in the consent decree.

Council debate and concern: Several council members expressed frustration at the short notice. Councilmember Mejia (identified in the transcript as a speaker expressing concern) said the item arrived too late for proper review and called the last-minute timing “wrong for the process.” Councilmember Watts and others noted the matter has a long history and that some councilmembers had been briefed previously; they described the city’s immediate choice as accepting minimal risk and preserving remedial rights.

Action taken: The special motion to waive council jurisdiction and let the DWP action become final passed on a recorded roll call (13 ayes). The council also instructed staff and accepted the accompanying resolution; audit and follow-up specifics were not recorded on the floor beyond the roll call.

Ending: The vote keeps the city within the EPA’s timetable and allows the partial consent decree process to move forward, while several council members signaled they expect fuller briefings and documentation in follow-up communications.