Stringfellow Acid Pits
Encyclopedia
The Stringfellow Acid Pits are a toxic waste
dump, and a Superfund
site, located in Riverside County, California
, United States, just north of the unincorporated town of Glen Avon
. The site became the center of national news coverage in the early 1980s, in part because it was considered one of the most polluted sites in California
, and because it became linked with mismanagement and scandal in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
in Pyrite Canyon, the 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) site was originally a rock quarry owned by James Stringfellow. In 1956 Stringfellow opened the site for dumping toxic waste, only after he was persuaded by a dubious geologic survey that the solid bedrock would be an ideal and safe site for the waste.
In 1972, after it became apparent that the pits were leaking into local groundwater, Stringfellow shut down the site. Claiming his company was without assets, title of the land passed to the State of California, and oversight was given to the Santa Ana River Water Quality Board. Between 1969 and 1980 bad management and bad weather resulted in several spills and intentional releases of toxic chemicals into Pyrite Creek which flowed into storm channels running through Glen Avon.
In the early 1980's, after the passage of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or Superfund, the site came to the attention of the US Environmental Protection Agency. It was listed as the most contaminated site in California, and was one of the first sites selected for remediation under the Act. The severity of the problems and a subsequent scandal related to the site made the acid pits the subject of national television coverage.
Rita Lavelle
, appointed director of the Superfund in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan
, was convicted on federal charges of perjury related to an investigation into misuse of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund money during her tenure with the Agency, and irregularities at the Stringfellow Acid Pits. The Lavelle incident was labeled sewergate.
Toxic waste
Toxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It spreads quite easily and can contaminate lakes and rivers. The term is often used interchangeably with “hazardous waste”, or discarded material that can pose a long-term risk to health or environment.Toxic waste...
dump, and a Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
site, located in Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, United States, just north of the unincorporated town of Glen Avon
Glen Avon, California
Glen Avon was a census-designated place in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 20,199 at the 2010 census, up from 14,853 at the 2000 census...
. The site became the center of national news coverage in the early 1980s, in part because it was considered one of the most polluted sites in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and because it became linked with mismanagement and scandal in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
History
Situated at the base of the Jurupa MountainsJurupa Mountains
The Jurupa Mountains are a mountain range in northwestern Riverside County, California, United States. The northern flanks of the range extend into neighboring San Bernardino County...
in Pyrite Canyon, the 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) site was originally a rock quarry owned by James Stringfellow. In 1956 Stringfellow opened the site for dumping toxic waste, only after he was persuaded by a dubious geologic survey that the solid bedrock would be an ideal and safe site for the waste.
In 1972, after it became apparent that the pits were leaking into local groundwater, Stringfellow shut down the site. Claiming his company was without assets, title of the land passed to the State of California, and oversight was given to the Santa Ana River Water Quality Board. Between 1969 and 1980 bad management and bad weather resulted in several spills and intentional releases of toxic chemicals into Pyrite Creek which flowed into storm channels running through Glen Avon.
In the early 1980's, after the passage of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or Superfund, the site came to the attention of the US Environmental Protection Agency. It was listed as the most contaminated site in California, and was one of the first sites selected for remediation under the Act. The severity of the problems and a subsequent scandal related to the site made the acid pits the subject of national television coverage.
Rita Lavelle
Rita Lavelle
Rita Marie Lavelle is a United States and California State Republican political figure. Lavelle was convicted on federal charges of perjury related to an investigation into misuse of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's "Superfund" money during her tenure with the agency, and...
, appointed director of the Superfund in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, was convicted on federal charges of perjury related to an investigation into misuse of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund money during her tenure with the Agency, and irregularities at the Stringfellow Acid Pits. The Lavelle incident was labeled sewergate.
External links
- US Environmental Protection Agency; Region 9 Superfund; Stringfellow - Site Overview, retrieved 2010-08-29.
- US Environmental Protection Agency; Superfund Sites; Stringfellow, retrieved 2010-08-29.
- Find Law; US Supreme Court; STRINGFELLOW v. CONCERNED NEIGHBORS IN ACTION, 480 U.S. 370 (1987)