Casmalia Dump Hopes to Meet Deadline on Safeguards

The president of a major toxic waste dump in Santa Barbara County, which the state has ordered closed to most hazardous liquid wastes by Dec. 21 unless new environmental and health safeguards are instituted, said Friday that he may be able to meet the deadline.

However, Kenneth Hunter Jr., president of Casmalia Resources Inc., which operates the dump, said the firm’s ability to meet the deadline depends on quick approval of the dump’s compliance plans.

“It is a distinct possibility and probability that we will be able to comply by Dec. 21, given the cooperative and cohesive effort in reviewing our plans by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health Services,” Hunter said at a press conference at company offices in Montecito.

State officials said they believe it will take a minimum of four to six months for Casmalia Resources to comply with the state’s demands for the dump, located in Casmalia, eight miles southwest of Santa Maria.

Developing Plans

After the press conference, Hunter’s spokeswoman, Jan Lachenmaier, stressed that when Hunter said the deadline could be met, he was talking about both developing plans to comply, as well as carrying them out by Dec. 21.

Among the state’s demands are the implementation of a daily air monitoring program, prevention of seepage of untreated waste from all surface ponds, detailed plans for treating liquid toxic wastes in problem ponds, draining the ponds and redesigning them to prevent future problems.

State Health Services Director Kenneth W. Kizer made the demands Wednesday after repeated complaints from neighbors, as well as Santa Barbara County officials, that emissions from the dump posed a threat to public health.

Noxious fumes from the dump have forced the nearby Casmalia Elementary School to dismiss classes early on occasion and have prompted widespread complaints of headaches and eye, nose and throat irritation from residents of the community.

Illegal Disposal

Hunter warned Friday as he has in the past that closure of Casmalia and other facilities like it would result in illegal disposal of hazardous wastes.

“I think these issues should be addressed. Casmalia is doing a bang-up job. Not a perfect job, but we’re good and improving and learning,” Hunter insisted.

He also assailed political figures and the news media.

“There’s too many of our politicians that stand in line trying to outcry each other, mostly in the media, as to how much they’re against toxic waste. Too few politicians and media, themselves, address the issue of specific solutions,” Hunter said.

Hunter described complaints and health concerns among Casmalia residents as “hysteria.”