Biggest Worry Is Pollution of Ground Water

County and state health officials say there is no danger to people living near the Chatham Brothers hazardous waste site in Escondido.

There is, however, concern about whether toxins on the property have contaminated the underground water supply, and an agricultural well about a quarter of a mile “downstream” from the site has shown traces of some of the same chemicals found at the Chatham property, although no extensive testing has been conducted. There have been no findings that the air is chemically polluted.

Material at the site includes chemical cleaning solvents, paint sludge, fuels and lubricating fluids.

Testing in September, 1983, showed that the level of volatile organics in the air at ground level is more than 1,000 times lower than acceptable levels, said David Merk, a county hazardous materials specialist. In fact, the readings may be the same in a typical residential backyard.

But surface soil tests have detected “significant levels” of PCBs, an oil once commonly used in electrical transformers as a cooling agent. It has since been outlawed because it is suspected of increasing the risk of cancer. PCBs are transferred by direct contact, not by air.

Among other chemicals found in the ground are traces of:

- Lead, which is toxic to the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, hematologic system and renal system.

- Chromium, which has been associated with increased lung cancer.

- Barium, which if ingested can result in gastroenteritis and cardiovascular problems.

- Vanadium, which has been associated with lung and kidney defects.

- Trichloroethylene, which can affect the central nervous system and cause depression.

In one small sludge pit on the property, health inspectors found more than 20 different metals in higher-than-acceptable concentrations, Merk said.

But officials concluded that the only public health danger was to people who might come into direct physical contact with the material. For that reason, the property has been enclosed by a fence.