The environment has become the focus of one congresswoman in the South Bay after reports of Chromium-6 were found in her district. Democratic Congresswoman Nannette Barragan says the carcinogen is just one that plagues her district.
"We are not going to let this continue to happen in our communities. And we're going to have just as loud of a voice here as we would if we were in Malibu or Beverly Hills."
Chromium-6 is an odorless, tasteless metallic element that can be produced by industrial processes. It's perhaps best known, as the cancer-causing chemical highlighted by the Erin Brockovich story. Pollution occurs when industrial sites fail to follow proper waste disposal methods.
Barragan invited Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence to Watts to lead the roundtable of environmental activists. Lawrence's district includes downtown Detroit and neighbors Flint.
"We can't say, 'oh that's just Compton,' 'oh that's just Watts.' We have to equally go as quickly as we would if this was Aliso Canyon," Barragan said.