California IN BRIEF : SAN DIEGO : Navy Cited in Toxics Complaint

The Navy has violated hazardous-waste laws in San Diego by improperly storing and labeling toxic and radioactive waste at the North Island Naval Air Station, according to a complaint issued by the California Environmental Protection Agency. The complaint, which stems from a routine inspection in April, alleged that the Naval Public Works Center and the Naval Aviation Depot stored waste that they had no permit to accept--including arsenic, cyanide and other deadly chemicals. The two commands also failed to store the waste safely, to label it properly and, in some cases, to determine whether it was hazardous, according to the complaint. It recommended a $204,800 penalty. Chief Petty Officer Martin Wicklund, a Navy spokesman, said the Navy is reviewing the allegations.