Neighborhood Gets Official Warning on Toxic Seepage

About a dozen residents of a Westminster neighborhood gathered Tuesday night to hear state and federal officials describe potential health risks caused by the globs of toxic waste that have seeped from the ground around their homes for a decade.

Residents were advised to keep children and pets away from the tarlike waste, which seeps through surface soil during warm weather. They were also told not to touch the acidic waste and not to eat food grown in contaminated soil.

A study conducted by investigators for the California Environmental Protection Agency says the long-term risks are posed by cancer-causing contaminants, including benzene, which evaporates from the waste into the air on hot days.

The results of the study “confirmed a lot of the suspicions we’ve had for several years now, which is the wastes do present a potential health threat and should be removed,” said Allan Hirsch, a department spokesman.

The tarlike waste which has surfaced on lawns and patios in the 73-home subdivision contains at least four potential cancer-causing chemicals, including arsenic and highly potent sulfuric acid, which can burn the skin on contact. The toxic waste site is east of the San Diego Freeway near Golden West Street.

The department’s studies show some ground water contamination but officials say it does not affect the drinking water because the contamination has not reached the wells.

The neighborhood sits atop two trenches of 60-year-old oil refinery waste, which apparently came from nearby oil fields in the 1930s and 1940s.

Tuesday’s meeting at City Hall offered residents their first opportunity to respond to a fact sheet about health risks they received from state officials. Several at the meeting said they did not know why a larger group did not come to hear the officials, who outnumbered the residents.

Gloria Delzeith, who lives on top of one of the most contaminated sites, said her health has suffered.

“I’ve been in the hospital four times since June,” she said. “Does that tell you anything?”

One resident expressed frustration with the bureaucratic maze.

“We know they are contaminated. We know something must be done,” said Eber Knapp. “We have meticulously studied--well, hell, studies have been done long enough. It’s time for action.”

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nominated the 23-acre area for the Superfund priority list of hazardous dump sites. The agency will make a final decision in about two months.

Fraser Felter, community relations coordinator for the federal agency, said there are now almost 1,300 sites on the list, and about 100 more are added each year, causing “fierce competition” for the funds. Only a few Superfund sites have been cleaned up since its inception.

State officials say the cleanup effort is likely to involve excavating and then incinerating the shiny black goop. In addition, residents may have to be temporarily relocated during the cleanup period, the report says, and some homes may even be destroyed to rid the neighborhood of the potentially harmful substance.

Residents are asked to call (213) 590-4906 when seepage occurs. According to the study, prompt removal of the seeping waste will reduce the risks. But the residents should call authorities and not attempt to remove the waste themselves, officials warned.