Pictured: planned site of Lincoln Avenue Water Company projects in Millard Canyon.
by Timothy Rutt
The public has until Sept. 30 to comment to the US Forest Service on a draft environmental assessment for two Lincoln Avenue Water Company projects in Millard Canyon.
The Lincoln Avenue Water Company (LAWC) is looking to renew U.S. Forest Service special use permits, in order to support ongoing maintenance and replace and reroute about 1.400 feet of corroded 10-in. steel water pipeline in the canyon.
LAWC General Manager Robert Hayward said that the project would take about a week to complete, and work could begin with 30-60 days from the end of the comment period.
In an email sent out by canyon activist Lori Paul, the special use permits from the National Forest Service have been expired since 2006, and there were permits from other entities -- such as California Dept. of Fish and Game, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and L.A. Regional Water Quality control board -- that were never obtained but were required to divert water from Millard Creek.
Diversion of Millard Creek water is a sensitive issue, as an almost-two-day shutdown of water flow in Millard Creek in July 2010 by LAWC resulted in the deaths of aquatic life in the creek, and left them open to predators.
One of Paul's objections is her claim that the official notice of the comment period consisted of a small ad in the Los Angeles Times classified section on Aug. 18.
The entire draft environmental assessment is available here;
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5325158.pdf
Comments should be sent to:
Graham Breakwell Special Uses Administrator
Los Angeles River Ranger District (LARRD) USFS
12371 N. Little Tujunga Canyon Road
San Fernando, CA 91342.
LAWC's General Manager Hayward referred specifics to the project engineer, and we're awaiting their call.
UPDATE: Jamie Miner of Aspen Environmental Group, who is the environmental assessment coordinator for this project, said that public notification was the responsibility of the U.S. Forest Service. It was the Forest Service that decided to take out the single classified ad in the L.A. Times as the official notice with the idea that it would attract a wider audience.
This story was also slightly rewritten to get rid of some kluges in earlier versions.
UPDATE 9/3: Lori Paul is on the case, and shares these email addresses for comments on the environmental assessment:
