Los Angeles County supervisors vote to explore temporary music festival ban

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to explore a possible temporary ban on major music festivals on county property following the recent deaths of two young women at a festival in Pomona.

The board voted on Tuesday to examine security and safety measures used at such festivals. Also, Supervisor Hilda Solis called for a full investigation into the weekend deaths of two women at the HARD Summer music festival at the Pomona fairgrounds. She also called for a report back in two weeks on options for more community outreach about the adverse effects of drugs such as Ecstasy.

The two women, who were identified Monday as 19-year-old Katie Dix of Camarillo and 18-year-old Tracy Nguyen of West Covina, died of suspected drug overdoses after attending the HARD Summer music festival at the Pomona fairgrounds. Autopsies are pending.

The two deaths have sparked new debate about whether authorities are doing enough to prevent drug-related problems at raves.

In 2010, the county issued a set of recommendations to help concert organizers curb drug-related issues at similar events. County attorneys say they are examining whether concert officials followed contractual terms to ensure the safety of its attendees at the HARD Summer music festival.

Last year, a 19-year-old woman died after attending the same music festival in Whittier Narrows, which is also in Solis' district.

"I want to provide a safe environment for everyone to enjoy. No one -- no one should have to lose their life while attending a public concert," Solis said during a news conference on Monday.

Solis is expected to make several recommendations, including a zero-tolerance drug policy.

The two-day HARD Summer music festival is touted as the largest music festival of its kind in Los Angeles, drawing 65,000 people per day.

A similar concert is scheduled to be held at the Pomona fairgrounds on Sept. 10. Officials say they are aware of this concert and want to resolve any issues before it takes place.

City News Service contributed to this report.