City of Cudahy
Your Local Representatives
|
Issue Overview
Cudahy is one of California’s most densely populated and environmentally burdened cities, particularly impacted by industrial land use, hazardous waste, and freeway traffic. According to CalEnviroScreen, Cudahy ranks in the 97th percentile for pollution-sensitive communities statewide. Although much attention has focused on industrial pollution, aircraft noise and emissions have also impacted residents living beneath LAX flight paths. Communities under LAX’s approach and departure zones—including Cudahy—have raised concerns for decades about noise pollution and air quality impacts.
A coalition of community groups, school districts, and unions negotiated a $500 million Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Los Angeles World Airports. The agreement included measures such as residential noise reduction, sound insulation, and health studies, aimed at offsetting impacts from LAX’s master plan and flight operations. The health toll of aviation emissions has become more pronounced. A 2024 study cited by SEIU-USWW indicates that airport workers and residents living along flight paths suffer elevated rates of asthma and COPD. The study also claims that people near airports live, on average, 12 years less than those in non-airport-adjacent communities.
On January 14, 2020, Delta Air Lines Flight 89, a Boeing 777 bound for Shanghai, experienced an engine compressor stall shortly after departing Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The aircraft returned for an emergency landing but needed to release fuel because it was too heavy to land safely.
The crew dumped jet fuel at low altitude, approximately 12 miles east of LAX, over Cudahy, South Gate, and surrounding neighborhoods. Unlike standard procedures—which call for fuel dumping at higher altitudes over unpopulated areas—the fuel fell directly onto schools, homes, and streets.
At Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy, children were outside for recess and physical education when droplets of fuel landed on them. In total, at least 56 people (including 17 children) reported minor skin, eye, and respiratory irritation. Firefighters and paramedics responded, but no one required hospitalization.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated, noting that fuel dumping should not occur over populated areas at low altitudes.
Following the incident, teachers, parents, and residents filed lawsuits against Delta, alleging physical and emotional harm. In August 2025, Delta agreed to settle the case for approximately $79 million, without admitting wrongdoing. The settlement included compensation for residents and assurances regarding environmental safety assessments.
Local activism and political engagement have played crucial roles in advocating for environmental justice. In the wake of the January 2020 jet fuel dump over Cudahy, residents turned out in force at a city town hall. They expressed deep frustration, calling the incident “environmental racism” and decrying how such hazards disproportionately affect Latino, working-class communities.
That same year, Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar launched a campaign to join the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) governing board, arguing that her city lacked representation in regional policymaking. She highlighted Cudahy’s struggles with air pollution, LAX impacts, and environmental injustices. Though she narrowly missed election, her advocacy was backed by many environmental justice organizations. The city even established a Parks and Environmental Justice Commission, intended to advise the City Council on air quality, land use, and pollution-related policies. (As of now, positions remain vacant.)
Cudahy’s fight for environmental justice is deeply rooted in its lived experience—facing adverse impacts from industrial pollution, hazardous contamination, freeways, and increasingly, aircraft noise and emissions. Community activism has taken many forms, from protesting toxic land uses to negotiating noise mitigation and advocating for representation on air-quality boards. These efforts underscore a core principle: environmental health and clean air should be human rights, not privileges reserved for wealthier communities.
A coalition of community groups, school districts, and unions negotiated a $500 million Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with Los Angeles World Airports. The agreement included measures such as residential noise reduction, sound insulation, and health studies, aimed at offsetting impacts from LAX’s master plan and flight operations. The health toll of aviation emissions has become more pronounced. A 2024 study cited by SEIU-USWW indicates that airport workers and residents living along flight paths suffer elevated rates of asthma and COPD. The study also claims that people near airports live, on average, 12 years less than those in non-airport-adjacent communities.
On January 14, 2020, Delta Air Lines Flight 89, a Boeing 777 bound for Shanghai, experienced an engine compressor stall shortly after departing Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The aircraft returned for an emergency landing but needed to release fuel because it was too heavy to land safely.
The crew dumped jet fuel at low altitude, approximately 12 miles east of LAX, over Cudahy, South Gate, and surrounding neighborhoods. Unlike standard procedures—which call for fuel dumping at higher altitudes over unpopulated areas—the fuel fell directly onto schools, homes, and streets.
At Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy, children were outside for recess and physical education when droplets of fuel landed on them. In total, at least 56 people (including 17 children) reported minor skin, eye, and respiratory irritation. Firefighters and paramedics responded, but no one required hospitalization.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated, noting that fuel dumping should not occur over populated areas at low altitudes.
Following the incident, teachers, parents, and residents filed lawsuits against Delta, alleging physical and emotional harm. In August 2025, Delta agreed to settle the case for approximately $79 million, without admitting wrongdoing. The settlement included compensation for residents and assurances regarding environmental safety assessments.
Local activism and political engagement have played crucial roles in advocating for environmental justice. In the wake of the January 2020 jet fuel dump over Cudahy, residents turned out in force at a city town hall. They expressed deep frustration, calling the incident “environmental racism” and decrying how such hazards disproportionately affect Latino, working-class communities.
That same year, Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar launched a campaign to join the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) governing board, arguing that her city lacked representation in regional policymaking. She highlighted Cudahy’s struggles with air pollution, LAX impacts, and environmental injustices. Though she narrowly missed election, her advocacy was backed by many environmental justice organizations. The city even established a Parks and Environmental Justice Commission, intended to advise the City Council on air quality, land use, and pollution-related policies. (As of now, positions remain vacant.)
Cudahy’s fight for environmental justice is deeply rooted in its lived experience—facing adverse impacts from industrial pollution, hazardous contamination, freeways, and increasingly, aircraft noise and emissions. Community activism has taken many forms, from protesting toxic land uses to negotiating noise mitigation and advocating for representation on air-quality boards. These efforts underscore a core principle: environmental health and clean air should be human rights, not privileges reserved for wealthier communities.