Firm Disputes Environmental Charges

A Terminal Island metal shredding plant is disputing charges by Los Angeles County health officials accusing the firm of a variety of environmental hazards, including storing soil contaminated with PCBs, a notorious pollutant and suspected carginogen.

Hugo Neu-Proler Co., a waterfront scrap operation that shreds old automobiles, refrigerators and other refuse and loads the metal onto ships for export to foreign steel mills, received at least seven citations in June. The firm was ordered last month to perform a detailed survey of pollutants in piles of soil believed to be tainted with PCBs--polychlorinated biphenyls--and to remove 30 steel drums allegedly containing illegally stored hazardous waste, officials said.

The company’s general manager, John Prudent, said Thursday that much of what health officials consider to be hazardous waste is actually chemicals used by the plant or scrap material awaiting recycling and treatment. “We disagree with almost all the allegations in the order,” Prudent said.

The health department is reviewing Hugo Neu-Proler’s objections, which were filed with the agency on Tuesday. Regional water quality officials in May ordered the company to stop PCB-contaminated particles from blowing or falling into the harbor during loading operations. The company has denied polluting the harbor with PCBs but has agreed to comply with the order from the state Regional Water Quality Control Board.