Residents press Southgate to close illegal truck yards at Alameda, Ardeen and Reo amid contamination concerns

More than a half-dozen residents told the Southgate City Council on Jan. 28 that a cluster of truck yards operating in the city are illegal, potentially contaminated and harming public health.

Speakers described investigations and testing that they said show high levels of lead, arsenic and volatile organic compounds near 8530 Alameda Street and nearby properties. “Recent vapor intrusion testing in this area has revealed alarming high levels of lead, arsenic, and volatile organic compounds,” Joanne Kim, who identified herself as a sustainable-fashion designer and cancer-research advocate, told the council. “Long-term exposure to these chemicals can lead to serious health issues, including cancer.”

Residents said the lot at 8530 Alameda has operated without the required permits since July 2021, and petitioners presented a petition they said had more than 300 signatures calling for immediate shutdown and cleanup. “For over two years, your residents have brought you their concerns about the illegal yards ... and you have blatantly ignored them,” Jennifer Daley said.

Several speakers said the truck yards were allowed to bypass environmental reviews and conditional-use permitting during the pandemic and that truck traffic, nighttime operations and hazardous-material risks have made adjacent neighborhoods unsafe and created noise, traffic and odor problems.

City Manager Rob said staff are taking the complaints seriously and that the city has administrative review in progress for the Alameda property. He told the council the site known as “Mr. C’s Towing” is working with the federal agency that oversees contaminated—or “Superfund”—sites, and the city is coordinating with that federal agency before allowing any soil-disturbing work. “We are not allowing them to illegally use areas not zoned,” the city manager said.

The manager added that the Mr. C’s lot uses two zoning designations and that improvements to the property must be signed off by both the federal agency and the city; some improvements will be minimal because the soil is contaminated and must not be disturbed.

Public-health and environmental advocates asked the city to prioritize enforcement, demand cleanup and ensure information reaches residents in English and Spanish. “This is a public health crisis that cannot be ignored,” Gabby Gutierrez, an environmental advocate who said more than 300 residents signed a petition, told the council.

Why it matters: speakers linked the yards to groundwater and vapor-intrusion risks in a part of the city that supplies local wells and drains toward regional water bodies. The council and city staff said review and coordination with federal cleanup authorities and zoning enforcement are already underway, but residents demanded faster action and clearer timelines.

Ending: City staff said they will continue administrative and permitting reviews, follow up on the Ardeen site, and return with updates; the interim community-development director was assigned to lead follow-up on the Ardeen property.