Escondido

The two brothers deemed responsible for the cleanup of a toxic waste site here missed a Monday deadline for explaining how they would determine just how badly the land is contaminated, state health officials announced.

As a result, the state will prepare the site characterization plan itself--and charge Tom and Robert Chatham the cost of the work, estimated at $100,000, said Jim Smith of the California Department of Health Services’ toxic substances division.

The chemical characterization of the Chatham brothers’ property is needed so county and state health officials can determine to what degree the property is spoiled and how best to clean it up. The property is in the 2200 block of Bernardo Avenue, a rural neighborhood on the southwest side of Escondido.

The state has threatened legal action against the Chathams for four years in trying to get the parcel cleaned up, but it was only last month that the state said it would implement the 1985 Hazardous Substance Cleanup Bond Act to force the cleanup. That voter-approved legislation authorized $100 million to finance toxic waste cleanups around the state, and the Chatham brothers’ property is the first to receive proceeds from the act. The local cleanup is expected to cost $2.5 million.

The Chathams’ attorney could not be reached for comment Monday. The Chathams no longer own the property, but state officials hold them responsible for the toxic waste because the land was contaminated during their ownership.