Irwindale

Irwindale is a city in the San Gabriel Valley, in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 1,422 at the 2010 census, down from 1,446 at the 2000 census. The ZIP Codes serving the area are 91010, which is shared with Duarte, 91702, which is shared with Azusa, and 91706, which is shared with Baldwin Park.

With relatively few residents, Irwindale consists mostly of rock quarries, which are the major revenue source for the city. The Irwindale Event Center is also located in the city, as is the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area near the San Gabriel River, a plant of the Miller Brewing Company, and a plant of the Huy Fong Foods sriracha sauce company.

The city became the new permanent site for the annual Renaissance Pleasure Faire of Southern California in 2005, after it moved from its previous home at the Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore. Irwindale, is a full-service city, it has local police and library services. There is a skate park, a teen center, a senior center, public gymnasium and a public pool. The majority of the housing is found on the southeastern portion of the city, near Arrow Highway and north of Cypress Street near Irwindale Avenue. There is also a tract of housing on the southeastern corner of Meridian St in the northwestern portion of the city, being distant from the rest of the housing.

History

Irwindale was part of the Mexican land grants by Alta California Governor Juan Alvarado of Rancho La Puente, Rancho Azusa de Dalton, Rancho Azusa de Duarte, and Rancho San Francisquito. The families of Gregorio Fraijo and Fecundo Ayon settled here in the 1850s. Significant economic growth did not arrive until the advent of the automobile, which drove up demand for the area's rocks and sand for the paving of roads. The city was incorporated on August 6, 1957.

Irwindale took advantage of urban redevelopment laws starting in 1976, and prospered in the following decade; it attracted a Miller Brewing Company plant, the corporate headquarters of Home Savings of America, and other companies.

Huy Fong Sriracha controversy

The City of Irwindale offered a low interest loan to Huy Fong Foods in 2010 to locate its sriracha factory in Irwindale. Huy Fong took the loan and contributed $250,000 a year to the city as part of the deal. Huy Fong built a $40-million factory planned to generate about $300 million a year in sales. Shortly after Huy Fong paid off the loan early and stopped contributing to the city, Huy Fong became involved in lawsuits brought by its neighbors and the city of Irwindale, who complain of the odors of jalapeño pepper and garlic generated by the plant. The city's suit led to a court order for the plant to cease most operations.

Sand and gravel mining

Irwindale is dominated by 17 gravel pits, which it was obligated to fill. Irwindale Chamber of Commerce views the sand and gravel mining industry as a significant part of the city's strength. In the summer of 1987, city councilman Joe Breceda approached Al Davis, owner of the National Football League's Los Angeles Raiders, about building a new stadium on the site of one of the disused pits.

Davis, long and vocally displeased with the Raiders' home at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, agreed to a $115 million deal. He would take ownership of the new stadium provided the Raiders would play there for 19 years. Controversially, the deal included a $10 million nonrefundable signing bonus paid directly to Davis regardless of whether the plan would be executed. In the event, both parties were served multiple lawsuits, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers demanded strict environmental impact assessments, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors demurred, and the project was canceled. Davis pocketed the $10 million, and eventually moved the Raiders back to Oakland.

In September 2002, the State Mining and Geology Board (SMGB) asked the Office of Mine Reclamation (OMR) to review depth and mine slope conditions of the sand and gravel pits in Irwindale.

Environmental concerns

Irwindale, along with many surrounding cities in the San Gabriel Valley, is identified as a Superfund site by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Groundwater contamination was first found through well sampling in 1979. Contaminants include high levels of volatile organic compounds such as perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), perchlorate, 1,4-dioxane, and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). More than 100 facilities are identified as contributors to this contamination in Irwindale, mainly through improper disposal and handling of chemicals over the years.

CleanTech Environmental Inc. Controversy

On March 25, 2015, advocacy groups and concerned residents stood outside city hall and protested the opening of a new hazardous waste site, owned by CleanTech Environmental Inc. The protesting groups were most concerned with the facility's placement adjacent to an ecological reserve and landmark, the Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area. Protesting groups included the California League of Conservation Voters, California Latino Environmental Advocacy Network, Communities for a Better Environment, and East Yard Communities.

In an interview, CleanTech owner Bob Brown affirms that the facility will not pose an environmental concern. The building of the facility was planned to prevent storm runoff, and all waste management occurs inside the facility, not outside. He also cites the fact that recycling oil reduces California's carbon footprint and allows the waste to be turned into other products.

CleanTech's corporate offices have resided in Irwindale for over 15 years, and the new facility is expected to recycle 1.5 million gallons of used oil a year.

Geography

Irwindale is located at (34.112, -117.964).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of . of it is land and of it (8.19%) is water.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Irwindale has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,446 people, 365 households, and 293 families residing in Irwindale. The population density was 155.7 inhabitants per square mile (60.1/km²). There were 378 housing units at an average density of . The raci