Antonovich Calls for Environmental Impact Report for Hahamongna Sediment Removal Plan

County Supervisor Michael Antonovich will push for the county to do an environmental impact report (EIR) on a  that is scheduled to take place in the La Cañada-adjacent Hahamongna Watershed Park.

Antonovich will introduce a motion making the requirement official at an upcoming board meeting, according to a press release from his office.

The project, which would be done to remove more than 1.5 million cubic yards of dirt from the Devil's Gate Dam, had been planned to be done on an emergency basis, which would have voided the environmental planning process that normally would be required for a project like this.

Local environmental advocates have opposed the current version of the project, comparing it to the sediment removal project in Arcadia that resulted in the .

Since that project was started, Antonovich directed the County of Public Works to assemble a task force of local environmentalists to review any future sediment removal projects.

Antonovich's motion would allow the county to begin removal of sediment along the dam before the EIR would be completed, while requiring it to be finished before the bulk of the project was done.

The project could result in 300 to 400 truckloads of dirt being removed on a daily basis for 9 months of the year for three to four years, according to the county's preliminary planning documents.

Tony Bell, Antonovich's chief of staff, said the motion will be introduced at Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting.

He said that it will require the public works department to come back within 90 days for a plan for what short-term removal work can be done without an EIR, and a plan to go through with a full EIR for the site.

He said it's unclear to the supervisor what work might be able to be done without an EIR, and does not know whether trucks would be allowed down in the area before an EIR is completed.

He said Antonovich has heard from a lot of environmental groups and community members and feels that the project needs to be fully studied.

"There's going to be a big impact on the environment and a big impact on the community and that's why it needs an EIR," Bell said.

Check back on this story throughout the day for updates.