PCAD - O'Connor Electro-Plating Corporation, Factory, Los Angeles, CA

East Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA

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An explosion at this plant killed 17, injured 151, and damaged 300 surrounding buildings 02/20/1947; the explosion aroused a controversy within the African-American, Mexican-American, and Japanese-American communities located adjacent to the plant on East Pico Boulevard; critics objected to unfair zoning practices that enabled the placement of dangerous industrial facilities nearby to minority residential neighborhoods.

PCAD id: 1449

Publications

"4 Mexicanos Muertos y 18 Heridos en la Explosion!", 1, 1947-02-22. "Plating Plant Destroyed; 300 Buildings Damaged", Los Angeles Examiner, pt. 1: 1-2, 2/21/1947. "Zoning Evils Bared by Blast", Los Angeles Sentinel, 1, 2/22/1947. Miles, Marvin, "Plant Blast Kills 15, Injures 151", Los Angeles Times, pt. 1: 1A, 2/21/1947. "This is no Bikini", Los Angeles Tribune, 10, 2/22/1947. "1 Nisei dead, another missing; scores hurt in yesterday's East Pico plant blast", Rafu Shimpo, 1, 2/21/1947.