BROCKOVICH BRINGS HER CRUSADE TO CITY COUNCIL.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer In a case of life imitating art Life imitating art is the reverse of the normal process whereby art is made to resemble life. The concept derives from an Oscar Wilde aphorism, "Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life. imitating life, Erin Brockovich carried on her crusade against chromium 6 on Friday, urging city officials to take immediate steps to eliminate the toxic chemical from drinking water drinking water supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. . Erin Brockovich, whose role as investigator for attorney Ed Masry who discovered tainted drinking water in Hinkley, Calif., recently was portrayed in a hit movie, said officials should not be lulled by reports the city's drinking water from the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. is far below state and national limits for the presence of chromium 6. ``Just because it is low today, you shouldn't dismiss it,'' Brockovich said. ``I have seen people die from drinking poisoned water. It angers me to sit here and see bickering over what goals there should be and what remediation is needed when people are being exposed to a poison in their water. ``It is unconscionable Unusually harsh and shocking to the conscience; that which is so grossly unfair that a court will proscribe it. When a court uses the word unconscionable to describe conduct, it means that the conduct does not conform to the dictates of conscience. that the drinking water in the San Fernando Valley is contaminated.'' She was joined by Masry, a prominent Thousand Oaks attorney, at the City Council hearing on a proposal to require increased studies to determine the levels of the chemical in the water. Chromium 6, also called hexavalent chromium, is an odorless o·dor·less adj. Having no odor. o  dor·less·ly adv.o chemical and a known carcinogen carcinogen: see cancer. carcinogen Agent that can cause cancer. Exposure to one or more carcinogens, including certain chemicals, radiation, and certain viruses, can initiate cancer under conditions not completely understood. , according to public health experts. The chemical has been found in wells in the Valley groundwater basin which supplied drinking water to the region. ``This is not just a city or state problem,'' Masry said. ``It is a national one and it is encouraging to find a city moving to address this.'' The council did not take final action on the proposal because it lacked a quorum. It did, however, adopt a motion to encourage Gov. Gray Davis to sign pending legislation that would require a statewide study on the level of chromium 6 contamination. David Freeman, general manager of the Department of Water and Power, said studies of the city's water supply show it as being under 10 parts per billion, while the state standards are 50 ppb and the federal level is 100 ppb. ``We are constantly looking at ways to improve water quality,'' Freeman said. ``We are one of the leaders in measuring our water for chromium. To put this in perspective, 1 ppb of chromium is like a drop from an eyedropper eye·drop·per n. A dropper for administering liquid medicines, especially one for dispensing medications into the eye. into two full swimming pools.'' In 1998, a state Environmental Health Office proposed to set a goal of reducing the permitted level to 2.5 ppb. The state Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
Senate Bill 2127, introduced by Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, calls on the Department of Health Services to speed up the study and issue a report before 2002. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Erin Brockovich, with attorney Ed Masry, urge the Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. on Friday to eliminate chromium 6 from the water supply. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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