Garcetti broke ground on new more environmentally friendly paving material

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti broke ground today

on a new asphalt plant his office said would save taxpayers $5 million a year

and provide a more environmentally friendly paving material.

The $38 million facility will be the first new asphalt plant built in

the city in 70 years and will replace the 1940s-era Asphalt Plant No. 1. Once

completed, it will drastically increase production from 174,000 tons per year

to as much as 700,000 tons, Garcetti's office said.

                  

``When we talk about getting L.A. back to basics, nothing could be more

fundamental than ensuring that the streets we rely on to get around the city

are safe and dependable,'' Garcetti said.

                  

``This new plant is a clear example of how L.A. is taking big steps to

improve services while keeping our commitment to minding the bottom line and

protecting the environment in everything that we do.''

                  

The new facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018 and

will use 50 percent recycled asphalt material, compared with the 7 to 12

percent currently used, and the recycled material will come from the city's own

streets as they are repacked, Garcetti's office said.

                  

The plant, located on the southern edge of downtown, also will meet or

exceed the latest air quality standards of the South Coast Air Quality

Management District, and will reduce pollutants from stormwater runoff at a

lower cost per ton than the old plant, Garcetti's office said.

                  

``This is a win-win for the city and for taxpayers,'' Board of Public

Works President Kevin James said.

                  

``These important upgrades give us the capacity to produce a much larger

amount of recycled asphalt, which is a more environmentally responsible

product, and at a significant savings. Producing our own asphalt allows us to

guarantee price and quality, enabling us to meet more stringent environmental

standards and maintain more of our roads.''


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