CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : CALEXICO : Hazardous Waste Returned to U.S.

Fifteen 55-gallon drums of hazardous waste that had been taken illegally to Mexico were returned to the United States, officials said. Mexican and U.S. federal officials supervised the transfer of the drums, nine of which were leaking. Most of the drums contained flammable liquids. The waste, which also included methyl ethyl ketone, was found in a neighborhood 10 miles into the Baja California border town of Mexicali. Nearby, inspectors found firecrackers that could have ignited the waste, caused an explosion and released toxic vapors, officials said.