Kettleman City Landfill Cited for Dozens of Unreported Spills
Thursday, November 15, 2012
A Central California hazardous waste dump with a history of fines has new problems. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control has issued 72 citations for spills that were not reported.
The violations charged against Chemical Waste Management's
Kettleman City landfill have been referred to the California
Attorney General, which is expected to levy "substantial fines"
against the company.
State officials say spills unreported since 2008 at the site were relatively small and appeared to pose no health hazard. But failure to notify the state would be a violation of the company's operating permit.
The landfill is a repository for carcinogenic PCB's, herbicides and lead-contaminated soil from clean-up sites.