New photos show Hollywood MTA hazards: property owners group gives photos to MTA chief.HOLLYWOOD - A coalition of business and property owners here has collected and released a new set of photos from Metro Rail tunnels showing that hazardous conditions still exist there. Hollywood Damage Control & Recovery Inc., which represents more than 1,000 business and property owners, sent the photos, dated June 6, to Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chief Joe Drew. Accompanying this was a letter regarding concerns about fire hazards and other dangers at the so-called La Brea La Brea (lə brā`ə), area, S Calif., formerly in Rancho La Brea. The La Brea asphalt pits, which yielded prehistoric animal and plant remains, are in Hancock Park, Los Angeles. shaft, near La Brea Avenue La Brea Avenue is a prominent north/south thoroughfare in Los Angeles. After Hawthorne Boulevard intersects with Century Boulevard in Inglewood, La Brea Avenue is formed. La Brea passes north through Windsor Hills, Baldwin Hills, and Ladera Heights. and Hollywood Boulevard For uses other than the original street, see Hollywood Boulevard (disambiguation). Hollywood Boulevard is a boulevard in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States, beginning at Sunset Boulevard in the east and running northwest to Vermont Avenue, where it straightens out , and also under Barnsdale Park. John Howard For other persons of the same name, see John Howard (disambiguation). John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian politician and the 25th Prime Minister of Australia. , director of the California Occupational Safety & Health Administration, said Cal-OSHA is continuing to investigate the allegations raised by HDC&R. HDC&R first released a set of photos in May - showing flammable liquids and debris floating in water, loose electrical wires and a lack of fire extinguishers. The MTA (1) (Message Transfer Agent or Mail Transfer Agent) The store and forward part of a messaging system. See messaging system. (2) See M Technology Association. 1. (messaging) MTA - Message Transfer Agent. claimed the photos must have been taken months ago and that all the hazards had been cleaned up in the spring. Since then, Cal-OSHA officials have indicated by their continued investigation of the situation that at least some of the conditions documented in the photos exist to this day and some are currently being cleaned up. "We will continue to work with Cal-OHSA to resolve any discrepancies, issues or problems they identify," an MTA spokesman said last week. New photos HDC&R Chairman Jerry Schneiderman last week said he sent the new set of photos, which he said were taken by the same former employee of contractor Kajima Ray Wilson Ray Wilson can refer to:
Schneiderman also sent Drew a letter in which he took exception with Drew for claiming the May photos were taken months ago. Claims refuted "This erroneous fabrication fabrication (fab´rikā´sh  n),n the construction or making of a restoration. infers that we went through the trouble of postdating the pictures five months in advance, anticipated the current hazardous conditions, withheld this information from the public (thereby endangering MTA employees), and waited five months to release this information," Schneiderman wrote. "I find it extremely unprofessional to fabricate fictitious claims in an effort to provide the public with a false sense of security. "In the future, I hope that your conscience will guide you in the right direction before any MTA employees suffer from your recurring negligence. ... Moreover, you have admitted that 'the tunnel is classified as potentially gassy gas·sy adj. gas·si·er, gas·si·est 1. Containing or full of gas. 2. Resembling gas. 3. Slang Bombastic; boastful. .' This statement increases my concern that cigarettes are being smoked in the tunnel (as indicated in previous photographs showing cigarette packages) under potentially gaseous conditions, with no fire extinguishers to handle any 'unforeseeable errors,' and highly flammable flam·ma·ble adj. Easily ignited and capable of burning rapidly; inflammable. [From Latin flamm oil which is present in the May and current sets of photographs." The first of a series of monthly meetings between MTA, Cal-OSHA, union representatives and Schneiderman has been scheduled for June 20 at Schneiderman's office. |
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