Hearing on Toxic Waste Cleanup at Carson Site

State environmental officials will discuss plans to clean up toxic waste at the Golden Eagle Refinery site during a public meeting Tuesday.

Toxic substances at the site include lead, hydrocarbons and petroleum products left over from the production of gasoline and other fuels on the property. About 10 acres on the northeastern corner of the property was used as a landfill for commercial and residential waste.

The site is at 21000 S. Figueroa St., just east of the Harbor Freeway and about one mile south of the intersection of the Harbor and San Diego freeways.

Carson Town Center Inc. owns the site, but Lasmo Oil and Gas Inc., parent company of Golden Eagle/Ultramar, is in charge of cleaning up the facility, officials said.

Since 1986, property owners have excavated 1.3 million cubic yards of contaminated soil, which was either treated or disposed of in other landfills.

Several methods to handle hazardous materials on the site are already in place. Layers of clay and asphalt now cover the landfill, and the methane gas that collects under the cap is vented and burned off. Officials from the California Department of Toxic Substance Control expect that the gas will continue to be flared off even after the site is developed.

Gravel-filled trenches on the property collect water contaminated with petroleum products so it can be cleaned.

Officials expect cleanup of the ground water to take at least seven years, said department spokesman Rich Varenchik.

At the public meeting next week, DTSC officials will discuss plans for further cleanup of the area and take public comment on the proposals. In about 60 days, the DTSC will respond in writing to the comments and the remedial action plan will be finalized.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Carson Community Center, 3 Civic Plaza.