California Companies to Cleanup Water

Seven California companies are now picking up after themselves. Aerojet General Corporation, Azusa Land Reclamation, Hartwell Corp., Huffy Corp., Oil and Solvent Process Co., Reichhold, Inc. and Wynn Oil Co. allegedly contributed to groundwater pollution in the San Gabriel Valley and will now have to pay to clean it up.

The companies will pay more than $4 million in immediate cleanup costs, $5.2 million for other treatment projects already built and enter into a 15-year cleanup plan, under an agreement by the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster.

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified these seven and 12 other companies as responsible for cleanup costs in areas near Baldwin Park. However, the broader cleanup agreement could cost the companies much more. Last June, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered the 19 companies to design and build a cleanup project, then estimated to cost $200 million.

The cleanup project would remove contaminants from heavily polluted groundwater in the Baldwin Park area, in addition to expanding the clean water supply for the San Gabriel Valley. The cleanup would also prevent the spread of contamination into the neighboring Central Basin.

Congress approved major funding last year for use in the San Gabriel Basin where the total cost of cleanup has been estimated at more than $320 million.