GORMAN : Tejon Ranch Co. May Sell Plant Site

Tejon Ranch Co., which owns the site of a controversial facility that burns hazardous wastes near Gorman, has begun talks to sell the property to the plant’s operator.

The sale could remove a hurdle to the operator’s bid for a new state permit.

In a letter to an opponent of the operation, Tejon President Jack Hunt said his company, which leases the site to plant operator National Cement Co., is in an “untenable position” that forced Tejon to recently begin considering National’s purchase offers.

National’s bid for a new state operating permit has been stalled because Tejon, which is not involved in the plant, has refused to sign the application. But National has warned it could seek damages from Tejon if that were to lead to a rejection of National’s permit, Hunt said.

“The only way out of this ‘Catch 22’ situation is to sell” the site, Hunt said. National uses the hazardous wastes as a supplemental fuel to manufacture cement. Times Mirror Co., which publishes The Times, jointly owns an approximate 30% share in the Tejon Ranch Co. with the Times Mirror Foundation.