Firms Searched in Toxic Waste Investigation

A Signal Hill oil recycling firm and two other companies were the targets of a daylong search Tuesday by state and local investigators seeking evidence that the recycling firm illegally shipped and stored toxic wastes, officials said.

Three locations of Petroleum Recycling Corp., which treats waste oil for resale as ship bunker fuel, were searched by an environmental strike force headed by the Signal Hill Police Department and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Investigators also searched two facilities of Signal Hill Terminal Corp., which operates oil pumping stations and pipelines in that city, and the Long Beach fuel storage site of Wright Terminals Corp., Police Cmdr. James Butzbach said.

No charges have been brought against any of the businesses. Richard McAuley, president of Petroleum Recycling, denied any wrongdoing Tuesday. Officials of Signal Hill Terminal and Wright could not be reached. Wright is under protection of the federal bankruptcy court.

Investigators were seeking evidence that Petroleum Recycling shipped waste oil contaminated with toxic wastes from its licensed site at 1841 E. 29th St. in Signal Hill, through Signal Hill Terminal pipelines, for storage at the unlicensed Wright Terminals location at 1825 E. Spring St. in Long Beach. Such storage and shipment would be a violation of state law.

In February, investigators found evidence of hazardous wastes at both Petroleum Recycling and at the Wright terminal, Signal Hill police said. The substances included highly toxic polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, as well as lead and other carcinogens, police said.

On Tuesday, investigators interviewed employees, seized documents, photographed Signal Hill Terminal’s pipeline system and took samples of suspected hazardous waste materials.

Agencies involved in the investigation included the Long Beach Police Department, state and Long Beach health departments, the Long Beach Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol.