Group Says Downey Studios is a Dangerous Toxic Waste Dump

Downey Studios and Kaiser Permanente Injured Workers Demand Answers and Adequate Health Care Following Life Altering Injuries from Toxic Dump Site.

Downey Landing, made up of 160 acres and formerly known as the Downey NASA site, is located in Downey, California Courtesy: downeyca.org

(LOS ANGELES) - Injured and ill-treated workers will come together to speak out against the injustices they say they faced as employees of Downey Studios and Kaiser Permanente Downey.

"Unknown to a Senior Orthopedic technician and movie studio prop workers, they made their daily living working on a highly contaminated Brownfield site that contained TCE, PCE, and arsenic amongst 250 other chemicals," activist Steve Zeltzer said.

"The irreparably injured workers are union members from IATSE Local 44, LIUNA 724 and SEIU UHW as well as other unions."

He says the injured workers are now disabled and need medical care which is unavailable to them.

Recent Los Angeles Times reports have brought their tragic story to the forefront of the public discussion.

Zeltzer explains that the injured and now disabled workers are coming together for the first time publicly to state their case before the court of public opinion.

"Government documents show that this work site was once a former NASA base/aerospace facility which had been used to develop neutron bombs, rocket fuel, missiles, delta rockets, and was the site of the first nuclear reactor in the State of California. Now, it is the worksite for movie industry workers and hospital employees and their patients."

The injured and disabled workers have reached out to their elected officials according to Zeltzer, and their elected officials have not reached back to them.

"Meanwhile, the imminent plans for the toxic site include the construction of future apartments."

The injured workers from Downey Studios and Kaiser Permanentewill be available to speak to the media Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. at the Los Angeles Press Club, 4773 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, CA 90027.

Those who will be on hand include Leonard Martin, Gail Shephard and 5-8 other injured and disabled workers.

The event was announced by Steve Zeltzer and the California Coalition for Workers Memorial Day.