California residents miffed at city’s concrete recycling operation

Pasadena, California residents are fed up with the city’s ongoing concrete recycling operation taking place in the stub of the 210 Freeway, according to a report from KABC.

“For two-and-a-half years, we’ve dealt with noise at all hours, construction materials and dust being kicked up into the air. There seems to be no end in sight,” Geoffrey Baum, president, West Pasadena Residents’ Association tells KABC.  

The recycling operation involves converting broken concrete from the highway construction project into smaller pieces that will be used to pave nine miles of new highway surfaces. However, the process has resulted in complaints about air quality due to the dust and noise. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has been cited by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for violations.

According to the report, the city said it has been "working with Caltrans during the past year, and we have been able to share our concerns regarding the operations and the impact on our residents."

Caltrans has installed a noise barrier around the site and has used water trucks to subdue dust from the concrete piles to prevent problems in the future.

The batch plant is slated to be operation until this summer.