The Region - News from March 19, 1986

Because illegal hazardous waste shipments to Mexico are becoming increasingly difficult to trace, San Diego County health officials said they intend to recommend a new system requiring shippers to stop at the border and file detailed documentation with the U.S. Customs Service. “It’s not a loophole, it’s a black hole,” Customs Investigator Daniel Supnick said at a meeting of federal, state and county officials in San Diego. “Once something crosses the border, you can forget it.” The meeting had been called at the request of county supervisors to assess the amount of waste crossing the border and what laws currently regulate its flow. Participants admitted frankly that they have no way of knowing how much toxic waste crosses the border illegally.