UCLA COEH was at the forefront of the response to the Porter Ranch Gas Leak in 2016. COEH Director Michael Jerrett, in consultation with COEH faculty, worked with Los Angeles County health officials to set up fence-line monitoring and collect air and dust samples from homes and areas in the surrounding community. See more about UCLA COEH’s work in Porter Ranch in our News section.
On Friday November 4th 2016, UCLA COEH will host a symposium entitled “Unnatural Disasters and Environmental Health: Causes, Consequences and Prevention in the case of Porter Ranch.” The symposium will explore scientific, regulatory and social perspectives surrounding the Porter Ranch methane leak of 2016. Please visit our Calendar to RSVP.
Member and Associate Projects
UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program(LOSH) and COEH member Linda Delp are working with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to address worker and community safety issues related to the former Exide lead battery recycling facility in Vernon, CA. Approximately 10,000 private residences, schools, parks, churches, and other properties in a two-mile radius around Exide were impacted by lead and arsenic emissions from the facility. LOSH staff have participated in public advisory board meetings related to Exide and are working with DTSC to develop a hazmat-related training program for workers directly involved in cleanup activities. The training will be provided in the context of a workforce development program to provide entry-level job opportunities for local community members. LOSH has been assigned as leader of a task team that will discuss and present recommendations for protection of workers involved in community clean-up operations for this contaminated community and other lead clean-up sites in the state of California.