McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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William M. Paparian •
Friday, March 20, 2026 3:32 AM
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Item 4 on Council Agenda 3/23/26 - Contract with Tetra Tech - $1,500,000 Some people who received this message don't often get email fromLearn why this is important [ I ] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0011474" on the DolT portal.
Pasadena Deserves More: Tetra Tech
Must Invest in the Community That
Built Its Success
0 x
o William Paparian
January 6, 2026
GUEST OPINION
Tetra Tech (Photo - Staff)
With a heavy heart and a sense of urgency I address a profound disappointment: the glaring failure ofTetra Tech, a corporate titan headquartered right here in Pasadena for nearly 60 years, to meaningfully invest in and uplift the very community that has nurtured its extraordinary success.
By William Paparian
Since its founding in 1966 at 3475 East Foothill Boulevard, Tetra Tech has flourished into a global powerhouse—a multibillion-dollar defense contractor with massive DOD contracts, boasting ambitious slogans like "Leading with Science" and pledging to positively impact 1 billion people by 2030. Its sustainability reports and web site brim with inspiring storie^g^g^^es 1 Item 4
volunteering hundreds of hours in Fiji for disability support and tree-planting; building playgrounds and supporting food banks in Virginia; delivering toys and care packages in Washington and New York; even sponsoring clean water projects in Honduras and Panama through Engineers Without Borders.
These are noble acts, worthy of praise, but they happen everywhere except here, in Pasadena.A thorough review ofTetra Tech's public materials reveals no prominent sponsorships of our iconic Rose Parade, no major partnerships with the Pasadena Educational Foundation or local nonprofits tackling homelessness, youth education, or arts programs. No highlighted donations to our food banks, no visible support for Pasadena's schools, parks, or cultural institutions. No leadership in addressing our own pressing challenges—like affordable housing, environmental resilience, or STEM opportunities for local underserved kids. Yes, Tetra Tech employs people here and pays taxes, that's the absolute baseline, the bare minimum any corporation owes its host city. But true corporate citizenship demands more: active, visible, headquarters-level commitment. It means prioritizing the community that gave you your start, not treating it as an afterthought while spotlighting efforts thousands of miles away.
Contrast this with another former Pasadena giant, Parsons Corporation. For decades headquartered here, Parsons actively supported local causes—keynote speeches at Pasadena Educational Foundation fund raisers, long-term contributions to STEM programs in our schools, and employee volunteering tied to our community—before relocating its HQ to Virginia in 2019 to be closer to its largest workforce and federal clients. Even after the move, Parsons' structured "Parsons Gives Back" program continues to channel employee-driven philanthropy into areas where its people live and work today. Tetra Tech has no such excuse: Pasadena remains its global headquarters, yet our city sees none of that structured, celebrated giving.
Pasadena has been good to Tetra Tech—providing talent, infrastructure, and a prestigious home base that enhances its brand. It's time for Tetra Tech to reciprocate, not with distant gestures, but with real, substantial investment right here. Sponsor our events. Fund scholarships for Pasadena students. Partner with our nonprofits. Lead visible initiatives that showcase your "spirit of giving" in the community that needs it most—ours.
We, the people of Pasadena, deserve better. Let's hold Tetra Tech accountable. Let's demand that it step up and truly lead—not just with science, but with heart—at home. 2 McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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William M. Paparian •
Friday, March 20, 2026 8:12 AM
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tern 4 on Council Agenda 3/23/26 - Contract with Tetra Tech - $1,500,000 [ l ] CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. For more information about the Phish Alert Button view article "KB0011474" on the DolT portal.
Tetra Tech has faced significant criticism over the years, particularly in high-profile project controversies.
Major Controversies and Criticisms
The most prominent and sustained criticism centers on the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard cleanup in San Francisco. Tetra Tech [through its subsidiary Tetra Tech EC) was contracted by the U.S. Navy for radiological and environmental remediation at the former shipyard site.
Starting around 2016-2018, investigations by the Navy, EPA, and others revealed issues with soil sample data, including allegations of falsification, manipulation, or misrepresentation of results to downplay contamination levels.
In 2018, two former Tetra Tech supervisors pleaded guilty to falsifying records and were sentenced to prison.
The U.S. Department of Justice joined whistleblower lawsuits in 2018, accusing the company of submitting false claims based on falsified data. This led to a long-running federal civil case, which Tetra Tech settled in early 2025 by agreeing to pay $97 million to resolve claims related to the cleanup misconduct.
Critics, including environmental watchdogs like Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility [PEER), argued that up to 90-97% of certain sample results were unreliable, potentially affecting public health and delaying safe redevelopment of the site.
Other notable issues include:
A 2022 World Bank Group settlement imposing a 15-month conditional non-debarment on a Tetra Tech subsidiary for fraudulent practices [failure to disclose agents/commissions) in a Somalia economic project.
Recent [2025-2026) reports of subcontractor data issues in unrelated EPA work, such as groundwater sampling tied to the East Palestine train derailment response, though EPA emphasized no public health risks resulted.
These cases have fueled broader skepticism about the reliability ofTetra Tech's environmental remediation and government contracting work, especially on sensitive contaminated sites. 1 3/23/2026
Item 4
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Donna Sider
Monday, March 23, 2026 5:17 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse; Cole, Rick
Agenda item 4
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Dear Rick & council members,
Please oppose agenda item 4! We support a feasibility study as outlined in the Arroyo Seco CIP submitted in October, 2025.
By reintroducing natural channel features, nave vegetaon, andfloodplain connections, the project will restore ecological function, support threatened and sensitive species, and improve the overall health of the watershed.Urban stormwater runoff carries nutrients, bacteria, and pollutants into downstream habitats and the Los Angeles River. This project integrates natural treatment and stormwater capture opportunities to reduce pollutant loads, improve water quality, and enhance groundwater recharge.
Engineered floodplain benches, low-flow channels, and sediment management strategies will enhance flood resilience and migrate downstream infrastructure stress, including impacts on Devil's Gate Dam.
The Arroyo Seco stream and watershed is the most important stream in the Los Angeles Riversystem for restoring the federally and state-endangered Steelhead. Naturalizing the stream south of Devils Gate Dam will create vital resting spots for theRainbow Trout (aka Steelhead) on their way back and forth to the main stem of the Los Angeles River and the Pacific Ocean.
Beyond environmental benefits, this project delivers significant social and recreational value.
Restored riparian corridors offer public access, trails, educational opportunities, and protection of cultural resources, thereby enhancing community engagement and climate resilience. By aligning with state and local watershed management policies and urban greening initiatives, the project offers a cost-effective, mul-benefit solution that balances ecological restoration, flood protection, and community priorities.
As opposed to a director, earning $310,000/year, who has not made time to engage this proposal(??!)
Thank you for hearing your engaged constituents,
Donna
3/23/2026
Item 4
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