LAX terminal's water declared safe after daylong shutdown

The water has been declared safe at a Los Angeles International Airport terminal after contamination caused a daylong shutdown.

A contractor early Wednesday morning mistakenly cross-contaminated a water line with water from recycled air-conditioning lines. The result was that contaminated water was going into the water supply that serves the restaurants, drinking fountains and bathrooms in the terminal, KTLA-TV reported.

Terminal flights continued to depart as normal, but food stands and drinking fountains were closed until the problem was fixed. Airport staff also gave bottled water to passengers, and employees handed out hand sanitizer and wipes in the restrooms.

Meanwhile, workers flushed the system to get the contaminated water out. As of 2:30 a.m. Thursday, public health officials said that water quality tests exceeded requirements. All temporary equipment will be removed and operations in the terminal are expected to return to normal.

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-- From a Times staff writer

LAX hands out bottled water after line contamination

Los Angeles International Airport was handing out bottled water Wednesday to passengers and employees in Terminal 6 after a cross-contamination incident compromised the water system, officials said.

The precautions were expected to continue until further notice as workers attempted to flush and test water lines to ensure the water is safe to consume, according to Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman Nancy Castles.

Airport officials were notified between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. by a contractor working in a lower level pump room of Terminal 6 that a potable water line was contaminated with recycled chilled air conditioning water from another line.

Airlines and concessionaires were notified and airport staff covered water fountains to prevent their use.

All food and beverage concessions were temporarily closed under public safety requirements and passengers were directed to get food and drinks in Terminals 5 and 7. Restrooms remain open but users were being given hand wipes and hand sanitizers.

All airlines have portable, potable water and there were no reports of flight delays, Castles said.

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New boarding gates open at LAX's international terminal

Marking further progress in the modernization of LAX, city officials on Wednesday heralded the opening of three boarding gates at the new Tom Bradley International Terminal, two of which are designed to handle the largest commercial jetliners.

On the north end of the terminal, the gates are the first of 18 that will be built at the Bradley, where a complete renovation is underway that includes new concourses and a grand central hall with upscale shopping and dining.

“Today, we take another important step in creating the LAX of the 21^st Century,” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said during a news conference at the terminal.  “This summer, nine gates will be open and we will go from having the worst international terminal in the U.S. to having the best international terminal in the U.S.”

The nine gates on the Bradley’s west side and the grand central hall were supposed to be finished in December 2012, but officials say construction complications as well as additions to the modernization project delayed their openings until this summer.

Case dropped against alleged pigeon feeder near Bob Hope Airport

Charges against a 60-year-old businessman accused of feeding a growing flock of pigeons near Bob Hope Airport, causing a safety hazard for air traffic, have been dismissed after officials determined he had stayed out of trouble for the last six months.

After Charles Douglas pleaded no contest last year to one count of public nuisance, Asst. City Atty. Danny Wei said the charges would be dropped if Douglas complied with conditions handed out in his February sentencing, the Burbank Leader reported.

“He did,” Wei said.

Officials determined Douglas had stayed away from feeding birds within 100 yards of his business, Wei said, and last week they dropped the charges.

But Douglas' attorney, Donald Ingalls, had said last year that Douglas was innocent and took the deal only because he couldn’t afford to go to trial.

Ingalls could not immediately be reached for comment, but last year, he said that an airport officer wrongly accused Douglas of feeding the birds when he spotted him with a cup in his hand and noticed seeds about 75 to 80 feet from his business.

A search of his property and vehicles for bird seed, Ingalls alleged, came up empty. But airport authorities said Douglas had been feeding and attracting a large flock of pigeons since September 2010, violating Burbank municipal code.

Douglas was convicted in 2010 and 2011 for violating the code, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.

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Photo: A plane at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Credit: Raul Roa / Times Community News

L.A. Votes: Dismal turnout, mayoral runoff, and failed sales tax

This post has been corrected. See below for details.

After months of buildup and millions of dollars spent on a blizzard of television ads and mailers, Los Angeles voters went to the polls Tuesday and selected Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel to advance to a mayoral runoff. The long-time City Hall hands don’t have any plans to let up the day after the primary. They will be busy on the campaign trail on Wednesday, with Greuel expected to pick up the endorsement of another union representing city workers.

Rivals Jan Perry and Kevin James did not offer their concessions Tuesday night. James, who has never held elected office, received a hair more support than Perry, a three-term  Los Angeles councilwoman, in the final tally. A key question going forward will be whether they endorse Garcetti or Greuel, because their supporters could propel one of the finalists to victory.

Turnout in the city races was dismal at 16% in a contested mayoral primary. That’s lower than four years ago, when an incumbent was running for reelection. Political experts have speculated that the distinct lack of enthusiasm may have been caused by voter fatigue after a bruising and long presidential contest, coupled with a lack of excitement about the mayoral field. 

RESULTS: Los Angeles primary election

The voters who turned out overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to raise the city’s sales tax by a half-cent to one of the highest in the state. While all the major mayoral candidates opposed the measure, its failure creates a new headache for the next mayor of the city, which will face budget deficits projected at $216 million a year and more.

The city school board races saw an inordinate amount of outside spending, with two camps pouring millions of dollars into the contests. One side is funded by supporters of the policies advocated by L.A. Unified Supt. John Deasy and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa;  New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote a $1 million check for that camp. The other side has the support of teachers unions. The result is a mixed bag for both sides, with board president Monica Garcia, a Deasy supporter, and Steve Zimmer, a union-backed candidate, both winning reelection.

Sacramento veterans lead in City Council races, and the city attorney and controller are also headed for a runoff.

INTERACTIVE MAP: How your neighborhood voted

Vote-counting took hours, but the greatest drama of the day took place in the morning. A morning shooting occurred outside a polling place in Watts, injuring a poll worker and halting voting for 30 minutes. The 35-year-old victim’s injuries were not life threatening. Police described the incident as a possible “love triangle” and are seeking a suspect.

Columnist Steve Lopez checked in on Election Day with the voters he has been in periodic touch with since January. They voted, despite their frustration with the field and with City Hall. “No one is turning cartwheels,” Lopez wrote.

[For the Record, 9:56 a.m. March 6: An earlier version of this online post gave the wrong name for  L.A. Unified School District Supt. John Deasy.]

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Comments, questions or tips on city elections? Tweet me at @LATSeema 

Photo: Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel speak to supporters during election night gatherings. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times; Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Remains of Korean War soldier arrive at LAX

The remains of a soldier from California who died at the age of 18 in the Korean War arrived at Los Angeles International Airport early Wednesday morning and will be returned to his family, 62 years after he was reported missing in action.

The remains of Pfc. Roosevelt Clark of Arvin will be buried Friday in Bakersfield, KTLA-TV reported. Clark was was reported missing in action on Nov. 28, 1950, while fighting with the 35th Infantry Regiment in North Korea.

Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of human remains, believed to be those of 200 to 400 U.S. servicemen. Documents turned over with the remains indicated that some were recovered from the area where Clark was believed to have gone missing in 1950.

Scientists identified Clark’s remains using dental comparisons, as well as DNA, which matched Clark’s aunt and uncle.

“It means so much to us,” Clark’s cousin told KTLA-TV on Wednesday. “We are just overjoyed that he’s coming home and that we have some closure.”

Clark attended Bakersfield High School, where he played on the football team. He dropped out in April 1950, during his junior year, to join the Army.

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Supervisors order review of efforts to stem new flights at LAX

The county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered a review to determine whether Los Angeles airport officials have complied with a 2006 court settlement that required them to disperse the growth in flights at busy LAX to other airports in the region.

Supervisors directed the county counsel’s office and William T. Fujioka, the county’s chief executive officer, to assess how well Los Angeles World Airports has implemented the agreement that ended a legal challenge to the plans of former Mayor James Hahn to modernize Los Angeles International Airport. They must report back to the board in 30 days.

The county, along with neighborhood organizations and communities surrounding LAX, was a party in the 2005 lawsuits. Among other things, the settlement directed Los Angeles airport officials to seek an expansion of cargo and passenger operations at LA/Ontario International Airport and LA/Palmdale Regional Airport.

Inland Empire officials are now seeking to take control of Ontario, saying Los Angeles has done too little to halt a severe decline in passengers since 2007. The Palmdale airport, which struggled to retain airlines, closed in 2009.

Airport officials say they have tried to encourage airlines to locate service at Ontario, but the severe economic downturn devastated the demand for air travel in the Inland Empire and prompted carriers to move flights to LAX.

Regionalizing air traffic has become increasingly controversial amid recent decisions by Los Angeles airport officials to move the northern runway at LAX closer to homes in neighboring Westchester and Playa del Rey, where there is stiff opposition to the plan.

A report prepared late last year for Fujioka’s office asserted that Los Angeles World Airports had made only “token efforts” to comply with the settlement provisions that seek a wider distribution of commercial flights. The study noted that a series of interagency initiatives to pursue regionalization were short-lived and there was never any effort to revive them.

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes LAX, also plans to address the northern runway plan and the regionalization issue at a council meeting on March 22. The latest round of airport modernization projects, including the runway project, requires council approval.

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Photo: A Japan Airlines jet takes off behind a Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet operated by United Airlines at Los Angeles International Airport in January. Credit: David McNew / Getty Images

In their words: L.A. mayor candidates answer The Times' questions

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has a good chance of keeping his job if any of the three most prominent candidates for mayor manages to win. But embattled Fire Chief Brian Cummings? Not so much.

When The Times posed a series of questions about major issues facing Los Angeles, those were among the views expressed by the eight candidates to replace termed-out Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. In late January, the candidates were given several days to mull what they would say before emailing comments back to the newspaper.

Their answers appear in full on The Times' "Where they stand" page. Readers will find that some are clear and emphatic, and some are carefully hedged. A couple of candidates left questions unanswered. But in a race where the competitors are scrambling to break away from the pack, voters can find a few revealing contrasts.

WHERE THEY STAND: Los Angeles mayoral candidates in their own words

After years of historically low crime rates, City Hall veterans Eric Garcetti, Wendy Greuel and Jan Perry say they would like to see Police Chief Beck serve a second term. Former talk-show host Kevin James flatly says “no,” without explaining why. (In answering another question about public safety, James, the only Republican in the race, takes issue with Beck’s decision to stop impounding the cars of unlicensed drivers, many of whom are illegal immigrants.)

Candidate Emanual Pleitez says he wants to talk with Beck before making any commitment. And Norton Sandler -- a member of the Socialist Workers Party -- advocates abolishing the LAPD altogether, calling it “an instrument of capitalist rule.”

Fire Chief Cummings, meanwhile, draws support only from Councilwoman Perry. She says Cummings “has been straightforward in his dealings with the city, and is doing a great job.” Garcetti, also a council member, and Greuel, the city controller, are less inclined to support the fire chief. Both cite the controversy surrounding his department’s failures to keep accurate emergency response-time data: “I believe confidence needs to be restored in the Fire Department’s management,” Garcetti says.

L.A. ELECTIONS 2013: Sign up for our email newsletter

Other highlights:

Should we keep building a so-called subway to the sea? The candidates deliver an almost unanimous yes.

Mayoral candidates give their positions on LAX runway proposal

When Los Angeles’ mayoral candidates appeared Tuesday night at a debate near LAX, the spotlight naturally turned to a controversial plan to separate the two northern runways by 260 feet--a plan that is vociferously opposed by neighboring communities because of noise, air-quality and congestion concerns.

Kevin James announced that he opposed the move.

“What I need to know as mayor is whether or not we can get to the economic, the safety goals we have set for the airport in other ways,” he said when asked about the runway proposal during the session at Loyola Marymount University. “No, I’m not there yet.”

The forum took place just after the airport commission endorsed the proposal.

City Councilwoman Jan Perry said if she was mayor today, she would veto the plan if it came to her desk, but since she is not, she needs to study it more and visit the site to assess the potential noise and air-quality impacts.

“That’s what I’m going to do so I can make a decision based in reality,” she said.

Councilman Eric Garcetti and Controller Wendy Greuel demurred.

James hammers City Hall veterans for not solving L.A. problems

The top contenders to become Los Angeles’ next mayor divided into two neatly aligned camps at a debate Tuesday night, with the elected officials touting their records and the City Hall outsiders questioning why voters ought to trust them to solve the city’s problems if they have failed to during their combined decades in office.

Attorney Kevin James and former technology executive Emanuel Pleitez repeatedly hammered Controller Wendy Greuel and City Council members Jan Perry and Eric Garcetti throughout the two-hour forum.

James, as he has in recent meetings, repeatedly honed in on Greuel.

“Ms.  Greuel always makes the point that she knows where the bodies are buried. That’s because she buried the bodies,” he said after she advised him to “loosen up” after making a joke during a discussion of city hiring practices.

With vote-by-mail just underway in the March 5 primary, the mayoral candidates are increasingly showing friction and are sprinting through a series of debates this week, trying to leave their mark on an electorate that includes large numbers of undecided voters.

With the forum at Loyola Marymount University taking place minutes from Los Angeles International Airport, the spotlight turned to a controversial plan to separate the two northern runways by 260 fee -- proposal that was endorsed by airport commissioners on Tuesday. Proponents say such a move would give large airplanes more room to take off and land, and would increase safety. Opponents worry that such a move would increase noise and air pollution, and increase congestion at LAX rather than spread commercial air traffic among the region’s airports.

James announced that he opposed the runway expansion, drawing applause from  the crowd. Perry said if she were mayor now, she would veto it if it came to her desk, but since she is not, she needs to visit the site to fully understand the potential noise and air-quality issues before she takes a position.

Garcetti and Greuel demurred and pledged to talk to the community. Pleitez said these positions showed what was wrong with city government.

“These are our elected officials. They’ve been in elected office 10 years.  They’ve had enough time to study, to talk to the community, to go to the site,” he said. “They need to make decisions.”

James and Pleitez need to make the biggest marks in such forums because they are both long-shot candidates without the fundraising coffers of the elected officials. Garcetti, Greuel and Perry largely stayed positive, touting their records.

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Photo: Kevin James, left, Jan Perry, and Emanuel Pleitez at Tuesday's debate. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times