A nearly $60 million settlement was reached after claims that over 1,200 people were sickened from exposure to a gas leak at the L.A. Department of Water and Power’s Sun Valley Generating Station, attorneys announced Thursday.
The lawsuit alleged the LADWP endangered the largely Black and Latino-populated communities of Sun Valley and Pacoima when it failed to prevent the methane gas leaks.
According to the complaint, for years, residents were exposed to toxic fumes that caused chronic headaches, bloody noses, shortness of breath, nausea and more.
Leticia Tascian, a plaintiff in the case, remembers noticing a disturbing odor when she first moved to the area.
“Like a year or two after we moved here, I started smelling gas every time I came outside to work on the yard,” Tascian said. “I kept telling my husband, ‘I smell gas.’”
Beginning in 2015, Tascian said she began feeling sick and suffering from headaches. Before long, she said she discovered the source of her illness.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Sun Valley Generating Station. (KTLA) 
Resident Leticia Tascian’s home is located near the Sun Valley Generating Station and said she’s been smelling the gas leak for years. (KTLA) 
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Sun Valley Generating Station. (KTLA) 
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Sun Valley Generating Station. (KTLA)
Tascian’s home is located near the L.A. Department of Water and Power’s Sun Valley Generating Station. The lawsuit alleges the plant began leaking gas from its pumps beginning sometime in 2015.
“It wasn’t until I became part of the neighborhood council that I met a lady who was experiencing the same problems,” Tascian said.
The lawsuit was filed at L.A. Superior Court in February 2021. Years later, many more residents began connecting the dots.
Jason Fowler, the attorney representing the residents, said it was a law firm staff member who discovered the leak and plumes of gas from the plant.
“As a result of that, people started to ask questions and connected it saying, ‘Hey, that’s the smell that I have,’” Fowler said. “And as more and more people contacted our office complaining of the same thing, we were able to investigate more and bring this lawsuit.”
Attorneys said more than 1,200 people living between Sun Valley and Pacoima had unknowingly become sick from the years-long exposure to toxic fumes.
A settlement of $59,892,000 was reached after a judge ruled that LADWP failed to perform adequate equipment inspections and did not notify residents of the dangers, prosecutors said.
The affected communities were also home to a predominantly Black and Latino population.
“They don’t give it importance,” said Ruben Rodriguez, a community activist. “I don’t think they believe Latinos or minority communities have the same value as those that are not Latino.”
Rodriguez helped rally the local Latino community over the incident and said, in light of the settlement, he feels some justice has been served.
“If it happens again, they have to take care of it as quickly as possible,” Rodriguez said. “To give the same importance they give to an Anglo community.”
“I’m happy because at least I know they acknowledged that it was not right what they were doing,” Tascian said.
“This remarkable settlement will bring much-needed relief and justice to these overlooked communities who were continuously poisoned for years,” said R. Rex Parris of PARRIS Law Firm, whose attorneys prosecuted the case. “We are proud of the results and for holding the City accountable for this catastrophe.”
As for the settlement, officials said it will be up to a judge to determine the amount each plaintiff will receive.
