Suit Against Caltrans, Pasadena Settled

Caltrans, the city of Pasadena and a contractor have agreed to pay $552,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a group of apartment renters alleging that a city sewer flooded their homes and that the subsequent removal of asbestos in the flooring was improperly completed, leading to contamination and loss of most their possessions.

The sewer overflowed in January 1993, sending sewage gushing into a Caltrans-owned apartment complex in the 200 block of California Avenue.

Caltrans officials then hired a series of contractors to clean the apartments and ordered them to remove the flooring. But the flooring contained asbestos and the South Coast Air Quality Management District subsequently served Caltrans with notices of violation for failure to follow state regulations on asbestos disposal.

Because of the contamination, Caltrans refused to allow renters back into the apartments and disposed of virtually every item inside each unit, said Chris Sutton, an attorney for seven of the renters.

The Pasadena City Council in a closed session this week agreed to pay $130,000 toward the settlement. Caltrans will pay $410,000 and the Lerr Group, the contractor, will pay $12,000, according to settlement documents.