Tijuana Man Fined $24,000 in Dumping of U.S. Toxic Waste

Mexican officials have imposed a fine of $24,000 on the owner of the Tijuana firm believed responsible for the dumping of chemical and industrial wastes from the United States in an isolated rural site in Tecate, Mexico.

The Mexican Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology levied the fine on Guillermo Marin, described as the principal owner of the Tijuana firm called Tratamientos Petroquimicos Mexicanos S.A. (Mexican Petrochemcal Treatments), said Ramon Quezada, a spokesman for Tecate Mayor Cesar Moreno. Marin was also ordered to move the hazardous material to a safe location within 15 days, Quezada said.

Marin was out of town on a business trip and unavailable for comment Monday, an employee who answered the telephone at his Tijuana office said.

Moreno has said that Tratamientos Petroquimicos stated on Mexican customs forms that it imported the wastes--including oil, industrial solvents, tar and sand--between November and January with the intention of recycling the material into useful goods, such as lubricating oil.

A National City firm, U.S. Technology and Disposal Services Inc., assisted the Tijuana company in preparing paper work for the transfer, according to Darrel Duisen, chief executive officer for the U.S. firm.

Despite the recycling purpose asserted by Tratamientos Petroquimicos, Mexican authorities said they saw no evidence of any recycling operation at the dump site. Officials said they also saw no indication that adequate preparations were made to prepare the site for hazardous wastes.

On the U.S. side, the incident has prompted inquiries by several federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The agencies are reviewing the matter to ensure that all U.S. laws were followed in shipping the material to the border, officials said.

Still unclear is how Marin will remove the material and where he will ship it. Previously, Mexican officials have said they would consider moving the wastes to a secure industrial dump.

“It’s up to him (Marin) to move it,” said Quezada, the mayoral spokesman. “That’s his problem.”

If Marin fails to transport the material, Quezada said, federal officials in Mexico have said they would assist in relocating the wastes.

The dump was closed this month and further shipments were canceled after municipal officials received complaints that toxic chemicals were being deposited at the site. Mexican officials have vowed to prosecute those responsible for the illegal dumping.

Meanwhile, dozens of residents who live near the dump have complained of various symptoms--including stomach pains, vomiting and headaches--that they fear are caused by the wastes.

But Mexican health officials who have examined residents say there is no connection between the various illnesses and the waste material. They also say there is no evidence that toxic waste from the dump reached the area’s water supply.

Mexican authorities have acknowledged that some of the material in the dump is toxic, but they have yet to identify the specific chemicals found at the site.