Hundreds Of Pounds Of Human Waste, Needles Cleaned From Former Homeless Encampment At Echo Park
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A shocking amount of feces, urine, needles and other hazardous waste was collected at Echo Park, where the clearing of a homeless encampment sparked protests.
According to a report compiled by LA Sanitation, 35 tons of solid waste was removed from Echo Park after it was cleared in March.
But digging deeper into the types of waste that were removed, workers collected more than 723 pounds of biological waste. Among the biological and hazardous waste that was collected were 180 pounds of feces, 544 pounds of urine and 30 pounds of needles. Workers also collective corrosives, ignitables and drug paraphernalia from around the park.
Hundreds of bags, boxes and items belonging to the cleared-out homeless residents were also collected and placed into storage, according to the report.
Echo Park was home to a large homeless encampment, and city officials began working to close the park in March, which set off several days of protests from homeless advocates who clashed with Los Angeles police. Police said a total of 182 people were arrested for failure to disperse, while 200 people were helped into shelters.
The cleanup and repair work is expected to be completed this summer.
