Anaheim Salvage Firm Begins Disposal of Waste at Landfill

An Anaheim auto salvage firm began dumping waste in a county landfill this week, less than a month after agreeing to clean up 50,000 tons of toxic materials so the company could resume shredding operations.

County officials said they gave Orange County Steel Salvage Co. permission to dump the waste at the Prima Deshecha landfill in San Juan Capistrano, provided it is chemically treated and tested for toxicity. The state Department of Health Services plans to conducts the tests, county officials said.

The company was shut down in March when Arizona officials barred the firm from dumping wastes in that state’s landfills.

Later, California attorney general accused the firm of violating an agreement barring the stockpiling of newly shredded waste at its salvage lot, 3200 Frontera Road.

Contempt Hearing

Company owner George Adams, Jr. faces an Oct. 28 hearing on contempt-of-court charges growing out of those violations. If found guilty, Adams could be fined $1,000 or sentenced to five days in jail, state officials said. Adams could not be reached for comment Friday.

Anaheim code enforcement officers who inspected the site said piles of new wastes were discovered six days after Adams had resumed his shredding operation.

City officials said Adams claimed that new piles had to be stored there because the county had not yet agreed to accept the refuse.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Don Robinson said Adams should not have resumed shredding until a disposal site was found.

The agreement allowing the company to resume operations requires wastes to be removed within 10 days. Robinson said the company had stockpiled the waste for at least 20 days.

“We’re not trying to close them down,” Robinson said. “But what they did is serious enough to proceed with the (contempt of court) hearing.

“We want them to understand that each requirement that they agreed to in order to be allowed to resume operations is to be taken seriously.”

Over several years, more than 50,000 tons of shredded cars, appliances and other metal objects accumulated in a large pile at the lot. State health officials have determined that the pile contains toxic levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, which have caused cancer in laboratory animals.

Bankruptcy Proceedings

Adams previously agreed to develop a plan to dispose of the pile. Robinson said that Adams has not yet submitted a plan and suggested that the state may be forced to clean up the site because of Adams’ financial problems.

Adams’ company began Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings last month to devise a plan for repaying $8 million to creditors. Officials said one reason that the company was allowed to resume its shredding operation was to generate income so that Adams would begin cleaning up the stockpile.

Cleanup costs have been estimated at $18 million to $26 million. Robinson said the state has set aside $18 million from its Hazardous Substance Bond Fund for the cleanup.

But the state cannot begin to spend the money, Robinson said, until Adams is given a chance to resolve his problems.