LAPD Breaks Ground On New Northeast Station Despite Health Concerns

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles Police Department Monday celebrated the groundbreaking of a new police station, despite environmental concerns.

The $22 million Northeast Community Police Station, located at 3353 San Fernando Road, is slated for completion in late 2015.

The current building used to house a Kodak film processing lab that used toxic chemicals until it was taken over by the department in 1983.

"While this existing station has served its purpose, it's a horrible facility that wasn't made to be a police station. It has issues that concern the people that work there," Chief Beck said.

Some officers believe the building's history had led to their illnesses, which include autoimmune disorders, tumors, headaches and even cancer.

Others have also expressed concerns about building the new station next to the old and potentially disrupting contaminated soil.

City environmental studies have said that while chemical contaminates were found in the soil under and adjacent to the existing administration building, no significant soil contamination was observed.

"That's why we didn't rebuild on the old site. We moved sites. We brought in all new dirt," Beck said. "We're going do tests and we want to keep this as a safe station."

The station serves the areas of Atwater, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, East Hollywood, Elysian Park, Elysian Valley, Glassell Park, Griffith Park, Highland Park, Los Feliz, Mount Washington, Silverlake, Griffith Park, Dodger Stadium and the Los Angeles Zoo.

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