Environmental activists from all over the country have been protesting throughout the week here in Los Angeles and today a local struggle will take center stage. The Ballona Wetlands, which lie along the west Los Angeles coastline are home to two vital water bodies which are also an estuary created by the once untamed Los Angeles River. The development is by the Playa Vista corporation whose main funding comes from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

Plans for the Ballona Wetlands include the proposed building of more than 13,000 residential units, 6 million square feet of commercial space, a movie studio, several hotels and a new marina. The impacts would translate to ten new tons of air pollution added to the Los Angeles skies and a 28% increase in traffic congestion to the already-gridlocked 405 freeway, which is the most commonly used route to L.A. International Airport.

Tape:

• Excerpt Of Film “The Last Stand: The Struggle For The Ballona Wetlands.”

Guests:

• Sabrina Venskus, the Executive Director of the Ballona Wetlands Land Trust.
• Marcia Hanscon, the Executive Director of Wetlands Action Network.
• Shiela Lafey, the filmmaker who made the film “The Last Stand, The Struggle for the Ballona Wetlands.”