The Environmental Protection Agency says a central California landfill that local residents blame for birth defects can keep accepting hazardous waste from Superfund sites.
The landfill next to Kettleman City is run by Waste Management Inc. In a letter released by the company Wednesday, the EPA says it decided to allow a specific type of toxic waste to be dumped at the site after an area where cancer-causing PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, were found was cleaned up.
But the letter says Waste Management must investigate a nearby spot where the company found three new samples that tested positive for PCBs and address that contamination as well.
In April, the agency told the landfill it could lose the ability to receive hazardous Superfund waste if it didn't clean up the first area where PCBs were found.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
KETTLEMAN CITY, Calif. (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency says a central California landfill that local residents blame for birth defects can continue accepting hazardous waste.
The landfill next to Kettleman City is run by Waste Management. In a letter released by the company on Wednesday, the EPA says it decided to allow more hazardous waste after an area where cancer-causing PCBs were found was cleaned up.
But the letter says Waste Management must find the source of other PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, found at the landfill and clean them up, too.
Kettleman City residents have blamed the toxic waste dump for at least 11 birth defects since 2007. State waste management officials say no evidence links the landfill to the deformities.
The state is investigating.
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Information from: The Fresno Bee.
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