Press Release November 17, 2014

City of Los Angeles Reaches Historic Agreement on Owens Lake Dust Mitigation

Represented by Alston & Bird, the City of Los Angeles has reached an historic agreement with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (Great Basin) on dust mitigation issues at Owens Lake. The agreement ends decades of disputes while ensuring dust control will continue on the lake.

Since 2000, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has spent more than $1 billion and used about 25 billion gallons of water annually to control dust at Owens Lake.

The agreement is expected to generate significant water and monetary savings for Los Angeles. It also provides the city with a clearer understanding of its liability for dust mitigation at Owens Lake while allowing Great Basin to preserve full regulatory authority with the assurance that LADWP will continue to meet its dust abatement obligations.

The Alston & Bird team representing the City of Los Angeles was led by partner Ed Casey and Jocelyn Thompson, with support from partner Maureen Gorsen and associates Andrea WarrenElise Paeffgen and Andrew Brady.
Media Contact
Alex Wolfe
Communications Director

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