Increase in Illegal Toxic Dumping Feared : Only Southland Facility Accepting Hazardous Liquids to Limit Intake

Fears of an upsurge in illegal dumping of hazardous wastes were voiced Friday by state and regional officials after the only remaining hazardous waste dump for Southern California liquid toxics announced that it would severely restrict accepting them effective Jan. 1.

The announcement by the Kettleman Hills landfill in the western San Joaquin Valley came on the eve of today’s scheduled shutdown of most liquid hazardous waste operations at the Casmalia Resources dump near Santa Maria. Neither facility is expected to resume full liquid hazardous waste disposal operations until March or April.

The virtual simultaneous limitations on liquid wastes at both landfills, prompted largely by cleanup orders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Health Services, have alarmed some state and regional officials who deal with hazardous waste issues.

Illegal Dumping Feared

“It just makes the problem even worse,” said Gloria McGregor, chief operating officer of the Southern California Hazardous Waste Management Agency. “That means between Jan. 1 and at least March 1 there would be no place to take liquid hazardous waste. Of course it means a lot more illegal dumping, I’m sure.”

Other officials said, however, that measures can be taken to alleviate the problem temporarily, including shipping wastes to out-of-state landfills and allowing waste generators to store the wastes at their plants longer than now permitted.

Still, said Angelo Bellomo, chief of the state Department of Health Services’ toxic substances control division office in Los Angeles, “anytime you redirect large portions of California’s waste stream away from two facilities that we’ve become very dependent upon, there is cause for concern.”

The restrictions at Kettleman will involve 20% or 6,300 tons a month of the total amount of liquid hazardous waste it receives--all of which has gone into open-air holding ponds and allowed to evaporate into the atmosphere. Kettleman will continue to accept liquid wastes that are stabilized by adding an ash or dust so that no free liquid can escape. The solids are then buried.

“The potential for a small percentage (of waste generators) to cause a great deal of environmental harm is there,” Bellomo said.

Stepped-Up Inspections

He also disclosed that local health departments are being asked to step up inspections of Southern California’s 30,000 hazardous waste generators.

As a result of the suddenly reduced liquid hazardous waste capacities, Bellomo said, regulatory officials will consider requests from business and industry to temporarily store their hazardous wastes on their own property for longer than the 90 days allowed by state law.

In addition, he and EPA spokesman Terry Wilson said alternative facilities are available in Imperial and Kern counties and Northern California. In cases where the liquid wastes are chemically treated or solidified instead of merely dumped into a pond, disposal costs will be higher.

“Hopefully,” Bellomo said, referring to the restrictions at Kettleman and Casmalia, “this will bring home the concept that we are drastically in need within Southern California for new treatment facilities. We must make a safe transition away from land disposal of untreated waste into the new technologies. This may help spur this along.”

Under an order issued by the state Department of Health Services last month and since amended, Casmalia must temporarily refuse 70% of the liquid hazardous waste it previously accepted until it can comply with various environmental protection orders. The orders were issued after nearby residents complained of noxious odors that they said have forced Casmalia Elementary School to close twice. They said the dump also caused headaches and eye, nose and throat irritations.