Lake Reopened After Film Is Found to Be Nontoxic
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Los Angeles city recreation officials have reopened Machado Lake at Harbor Regional Park after determining that a heavy film of algae was not latex paint or a similarly toxic substance, as mistakenly had been believed.
“We’re relieved,” Jean Thaxton of the city Recreation and Parks Department said.
The lake at the 230-acre park was closed July 18 after maintenance crews reported a heavy film that fire and health officials feared was a toxic material. That fear continued even after preliminary testing of the lake found that the water did not contain detectable levels of metals.
After subsequent testing, Los Angeles County health officials determined that the water was not hazardous because it contained living microorganisms. “Our conclusion is that it is algae . . . and I am convinced it is not hazardous,” said Samir Ibrahim, a hazardous materials specialist. Officials blamed the algae bloom on the recent hot weather.
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