Complaints Filed With LA DA Steve Cooley Against Downey Toxic Developer Stuart Lichter

Injured Workers and Advocates Submit Workers Comp Fraud and Environmental Crimes charges on 11/19/2010 at LA DA Steve Cooley Against Downey Toxic Site Developer Stuart Lichter

On November 19, 2010, A delegation of injured workers and injured workers advocates visited the Los Angeles District Attorney's office to deliver complaints from 9 injured Downey workers and their families along with injured workers advocates charging workers comp fraud against Downey toxic site developer Stuart Lichter of IRG. They also made complaints against Lichter for environmental crimes. Complaints to the LA DA were submitted by Jeff Wooley, Scotty Waldon, Janet Kachorsky, MIke Rowen, Dina Padilla, Don Yaklin, Skye Basile, John Kachorsky and Steve Basile.
The 160 acre site which for over 70 years was a military-industrial complex where neutron bombs were produced, nuclear barium explosion took place and thousands of gallons of jet fuel and other toxins were dumped. Boeing, North American Aviation ran operation there and It was taken over by Ames as well. Even contaminated space vehicles were stored in the buildings. The US Congress after significant contributions from developers like Stuart Lichter allowed for the privatization of these highly toxic government dump sites and named them "Brownfields" and Superfund sites which were supposed be cleaned up properly by the developers.

In the case of Stuart Lichter and IRG along with the City of Downey this never took place. Instead the hazardous site was developed with the Downey Studio which also leased to Dreamworks along with other companies and a Kaiser Medical Complex in Downey along with a shopping center were built. Despite the fact, that movie workers continued to get contaminated as well as Kaiser workers Lichter continued to develop the site and even sued Dreamworks over who was responsible for worker compensation for workers on the site. He also sued IATSE Local 44 for harming his business when they informed the movie set workers of potential dangers.

The Los Angeles Times even did a year long investigation which showed that workers on various shows were getting similar symptoms yet no government agency or elected government officials in the Los Angeles region and the State of California contacted the injured workers or agreed to meet with them to discuss their fight to get healthcare and compensation for their injuries.
http://www.workersmemorialday.org/documents/LAtimes-Downey.htm
The workers continue to get sick at the site and the workers are now united to demand that the Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley prosecute Stuart Lichter for engaging in workers comp fraud and also violating environmental laws which require that the site be properly cleaned up before it is developed. This is a systemic cost shifting scam where injured workers and their families are forced to go on Federal government programs such as SSI and SSDI. Additional complaints will be filed in the coming weeks and the injured workers and their advocates will be organizing to make sure that they get justice. Also contact the Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley and ask him to prosecute Lichter. You can also call the Environmental Crimes unit at 213-580-3243.
For further information go to http://www.workersmemorialday.org.
California Coalition For Workers Memorial Day CCWMD

Downey Flu: How an L.A. Suburb Became One of the Most Toxic Towns And The Workers It Contaminated
http://www.alternet.org/health/145508/downey_flu:_how_an_l.a._suburb_became_one_of_the_most_toxic_towns?page=entire
http://downey.kaiserpapers.info/Dozens of Workers Claim 'Toxic' Studio Made Them Sick
http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-toxic-studio,0,5737476.story