South L.A. among communities awarded state grants for climate projects
L.A. County officials say a flood control project in South L.A. is a way to address climate change. At the same time, the project could make communities more vulnerable.
A flood control project in South Los Angeles will benefit the city, protect the community and improve the quality of life, the local official said. But it could threaten the region’s low-lying areas that are home to roughly a third of L.A. County residents.
A state grant will fund the project, which would be built below an existing levee along a creek that runs underneath Interstate 110. Critics say it could have an adverse impact on the area’s low-lying communities, and therefore the region’s quality of life.
Some residents are worried that the flooding resulting from a potential project would destroy their homes and prevent them from developing their communities, and that a nearby airport could become a danger.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, however, is enthusiastic about the project’s benefits.
“This project is an excellent example of how the county can work with the city to address climate change, while also ensuring that our communities are protected by protecting our natural resources,” Solis said, in a statement. “Every single community in L.A. County will benefit when this project is completed.”
Officials in South L.A. also believe the project would increase public safety, promote economic development and improve the quality of life for residents, according to a county press release.
“The project would improve flood-water management and the quality of life for our families,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in the statement. “We’re also excited about the opportunity to help the city of South Los Angeles address the growing problem of climate change.”
Officials have said the project
