L.A. River trash catch basin inserts funding

A major environmental project to help 16 cities capture tons of trash before it enters the Los Angeles River moved forward this week when a regional authority awarded a $5 million contract funded with federal Stimulus monies.

The contract will fund the installation of about 12,000 trash-collection devices known as catch basin inserts into storm drains that lead to the L.A. River in Long Beach and throughout all of the other 15 cities upriver.

The contract was awarded by the L.A. Gateway Region Integrated Regional Water Management Authority (L.A. Gateway Authority), according to City Hall spokesman Ed Kamlan.

The inserts will prevent an estimated 400 tons of trash, green waste and other debris from entering the storm drain system annually, ultimately migrating to the Long Beach coast.

"For many years, our beaches and coastal water quality have suffered," said Mayor Bob Foster. "This project will help reduce the amount of trash that ends up on the Long Beach shoreline. I look forward to the swift implementation of this project."

Another $4 million will be available for cities to install curb-level screens to prevent debris from entering storm drains, and also enable the debris to be collected by street-sweeping equipment, Kamlan said.

 The year-long project could start Nov. 30 and create approximately 200 jobs, the spokesman added.

In an average year, according to Kamlan, Long Beach picks up more than 3,000 tons of trash and debris deposited on its beaches by the L.A. River.

 The cities that will receive the catch basin inserts are: Bell, Bell Gardens, Commerce, Compton, Cudahy, Downey, Huntington Park, Long Beach, Lynwood, Maywood, Montebello, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Signal Hill, South Gate and Vernon.