Hahn Instructs LA County to File Lawsuit against Chromium 6 Emitting Company in Paramount

Los Angeles, CA — Today, Supervisor Janice Hahn (District 4) instructed the Office of the County Counsel to file a public nuisance lawsuit against Anaplex, a metal plating business in the city of Paramount. The County’s Department of Public Health determined Anaplex to be emitting unsafe levels of chromium 6, a known human carcinogen.

The lawsuit will be filed jointly later this week with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and is needed to enforce both agency’s efforts to enforce air pollution standards to reduce emissions to acceptable levels. The agencies will seek an order compelling Anaplex to immediately stop operating any process that generates chromium 6 emissions that exceed 1.0 ng/ m3 as measured by an SCAQMD ambient air monitor.

“Anaplex’s ongoing emissions of Chromium 6 are a serious threat to public health and local Paramount residents,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “With this lawsuit I hope we will force Anaplex to immediately stop these dangerous emissions and send a strong message to the residents of Paramount that the County of Los Angeles is here to protect them.”

Tests of air quality in recent months in Paramount showed chromium 6 hotspots where levels were measured at 300x normal levels.

Since taking office December 5, Supervisor Hahn has made the chromium 6 crisis in Paramount one of her top priorities. She addressed local residents at a December 12 community town hall on the situation, met with local Paramount elected officials, and invited concerned Paramount residents to testify in front of the Board of Supervisors. At today’s Board of Supervisors meeting, Supervisor Hahn also led questioning of County Public Health Interim Director Cynthia Harding regarding the ongoing situation facing Paramount residents.