McColl Toxic Site Cleanup Finally Done

Capping two decades of disputes and delays, residents, politicians and federal environmental officials joined together Thursday to celebrate completion of the massive cleanup at the McColl toxic dump site in Fullerton.

Over the last three years, a huge containment cap has been built over the World War II-era petroleum sludge waste and on Thursday officials dedicated three holes of a golf course that was placed on top of the landfill.

“This has been a day long awaited for the community,” said Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) “I truly believe that the solution has been a hole-in-one for everybody.”

Nearby residents, who in the late 1970s gained national attention because of their complaints about odor and health problems from the dump, expressed relief that what was once one of the nation’s most hazardous waste sites has finally been cleaned up.

“It turned out better than we could have ever hoped for,” said David A. Bushey, who lives near the former dump and has been instrumental in its cleanup. “It’s been a tremendous effort on everybody’s part to get it completed--and it turned out perfect.”

The federal Environmental Protection Agency is now talking about removing McColl from its Superfund list of the nation’s worst toxic dumps.

But the decision has been complicated by a judge’s ruling this month that the federal government--and not oil companies that dumped the sludge--should pay for the entire $80-million to $100-million cleanup.

The ruling hasn’t affected the final stages of the cleanup and didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of officials at the Thursday event.

“It took a long time to get here, and a lot of hard work,” said Patti Collins, project manager for the Environmental Protection Agency. “Everybody’s thrilled with the result. . . . We wanted to find a remedy that was protective, the least disruptive to the community and use the best available technology.”

The golf course--part of Los Coyotes Country Club--has a lake that acts as a storm water collection pond. One golf hole actually sits on top of a waste pit.

The waste containment cap was placed over the pits containing the petroleum sludge last fall. But the golf course grass wasn’t ready for players until now.

The cap’s protective membrane keeps water from seeping into the ground. It also keeps petroleum substances sealed within the cap. Foul-smelling gases are collected and purified through a treatment system.

Barrier walls inserted 40 feet into the ground surround the waste pits, said Al Hendricker, former project manager for the McColl Site Group.

“Basically the contaminants are entombed,” he said.

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From Garbage to Greens

Federal, state and local officials Thursday celebrated the completion of a containment system of more than 100,000 cubic yards of hazardous waste at the McColl Superfund site and showed off new three holes added to the golf course, part of Los Coyotes Country Club. The McColl cleanup is projected to cost $80 million to $100 million.

Cap design

Plant cover-protection layer: 2’

Drainage layer: Sand/cobbles, 1’

Plastic barrier layer

Gas collection layer: Sand, 1’

Reinforced foundation layer: Sand, 6”

Unreinforced foundation layer: Sand, 6”

Ground