WESTMINSTER : Dump Residents See a Long Road Ahead

Residents who live on top of an abandoned toxic waste dump fear that it may be years before anyone begins to clean it up.

The 73-home tract, just off the Garden Grove Freeway near the Golden West Street off-ramp, has been plagued for many years by an acrid, tarlike sludge that seeps up into yards--especially in hot weather.

The situation was created when waste from oil field refineries was dumped in a pit on the property from the late 1930s to the late 1950s. For most of those years, the land was occupied by a dairy company. The waste was later redeposited in two unlined trenches, which were covered by concrete and soil.

Officials from the state Department of Health Services estimate that it will cost more than $10 million to clean up the area, which they hope will qualify for the EPA Superfund list.

“Right now, we don’t know what the final cleanup date is going to be,” said John Scandura, supervising hazardous materials specialist for the department’s Long Beach office.

“We are working very hard to make sure this project goes near the top or at the top of the EPA’s priority list,” Scandura said.

At a community meeting held at Westminster Civic Center last week, residents complained about the length of time it is taking to begin the cleanup. The state began investigating in 1987 when sludge began seeping up through back yards and into swimming pools.

“I feel like we get put on every time we come to these meetings,” said Jerry Hanie, a resident of Sowell Avenue since 1975. “This entire process is just taking too long. I feel like this meeting is just another stall.”

Mike and Vera Torres said a small mound of sludge seeped into their yard recently, a frequent occurrence in recent years. The couple have lived on Sowell Avenue for 31 years and raised three children. They are concerned with any long-term health risks that the toxic material might represent.

“Our kids grew up with it and used to play with it,” said Vera Torres. “Now, I’m worried about if they are going to develop cancer. I’m very concerned about my family.”

Studies conducted by the state revealed that the sludge contained low levels of carcinogens, such as benzene and toluene.

“Even if you touch it, there shouldn’t be any serious effects,” said health department spokesman Allen Hirsch. “But people should not be exposed to it for long periods of time. If it bubbles up into someone’s back yard, it should be cleaned up. We’ve done air monitoring in the area and this data has shown us that vapors are at a very low concentration and there isn’t any short-term effect. But we still need to gather more information on possible long-term effects.”

Unaware of the toxicity of the material, the Torres family had been throwing the sludge into the garbage. It is only during the last three years that state crews have gathered it up, sometimes on a weekly basis.

One neighbor, who declined to be identified, said she has been trying to sell her home but complained that buyers turn away once they find out that it is located on an abandoned waste dump.

“We are required by law to tell them about the situation,” she said.

Health department officials said they will not ask the EPA to consider the land for the Superfund until they complete a cleanup plan for the site in early 1991.

Next week, department officials will begin investigating soil in areas of the property where they had previously been denied access and to test ground water at deeper levels than previously studied.