Monrovia : Toxic Cleanup Finished

The Environmental Protection Agency has finished a monthlong cleanup of an abandoned metal plating company and 10 people who live next door have been allowed to return home from a hotel.

The toxic waste cleanup at Abco Metal Finishing, 1621 S. Myrtle Ave., included pumping 10,000 gallons of cyanides and 5,000 gallons of acids from leaking vats at the plant. The EPA is waiting for results of soil tests at the site. If the tests show contamination with heavy metals including cadmium, the EPA will remove the affected soil and replace it with clean dirt.

The problem came to light during a routine inspection in January.