Chemical in Rail Car Not Regulated, Firm Says
A chemical company accused of unlawfully transporting hazardous waste to its South Gate plant from out of state says it will “vigorously” defend itself against criminal charges filed Tuesday by the Los Angeles County district attorney.
Rhone-Poulenc Basic Chemicals Co., which owns the former Stauffer Chemical plant, issued a statement Wednesday saying the material sitting in a rail car shipped two years ago from Tennessee to California is not hazardous waste but crude phosphorus. Crude phosphorus is just as likely to ignite if exposed to oxygen but transportation of it would not be regulated by hazardous waste laws, said Deputy Dist. Atty. William Carter, who is prosecuting the case.
The complaint alleges that the firm tried to dispose of the alleged waste product by illegally burning it at the plant. The 19-count complaint carries fines of up to $20 million if the firm is convicted.
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