Water Board Votes to Shut Casmalia Dump

The state Regional Water Quality Control Board approved a proposal Friday that will shut down the landfills next month at Casmalia Resources, one of two toxic waste dumps in Southern California.

The state water board voted 6 to 2 at a meeting in Santa Maria to prohibit the site from accepting regular toxic waste shipments after Nov. 26.

The closure vote was expected because legislation passed in 1984 ordered that toxic landfills that did not meet new standards would be effectively prohibited from accepting toxic materials in five years.

Casmalia still will be allowed to accept some waste for the specific purpose of drying up seepage under the landfills. The water board will give Casmalia up to one year to complete this process and then will not allow any more waste to be brought into the site.

While the existing landfills will soon be closed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a controversial decision to grant draft permits for new toxic landfills at the site. Casmalia has applied to build two new toxic landfills and five “evaporation” ponds. But Casmalia’s proposal must first complete the lengthy local, state and federal approval process.