NCG filed a comment letter this week. NCG_letter_DTSC_ChathamRRR_August2018. This is a notorious waste site in North County where, after 31 years of remedial ‘action’, the cleanup goals have still not been met. Worse, the pollution is discharging into Felicita Creek in the park where it exposes people and wildlife. NCG has joined with other groups to ask the state Department of Toxic Substances Control to require more action on this site.
Background
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has oversight of the remediation of hazardous waste released to the environment by the Chatham Brothers Barrel Yard. As a brief background, members of the Chatham family owned the property at 2257 Bernardo Ave, Escondido and ran a hazardous waste processing and collection business for decades.
In the early 1980’s, massive pollution of the site was discovered and the facility was closed. The Chatham Barrel yard was listed as a state superfund site and emergency soil removal action was conducted. Additionally, on-site water remediation has been on-going for over 20 years.
However, in the intervening decades, the groundwater pollution has spread significantly and can now be found under Felicita County Park and many area homes. Further, the contamination is now entering Felicita Creek in a public area where the public is unwittingly exposed.
In spite of over 30 years of remedial action, much of it passive through the adoption of a passive strategy called ‘natural attenuation’, the cleanup objectives have not been met. It is clear that more proactive measures must be taken.
Sierra Club NCG requested the Department of Toxic Substances Control, as lead agency, take the following actions prior to certification of the Review.
- Make a finding that, after 30 years of implementation of natural attenuation as a remedial action, the remedial objectives have not been met.
- Direct additional proactive measures to achieve the remedial objectives, especially to stop unbated discharges into Felicita Creek.
- Establish and timeline of performance for meeting the objectives.
For more information, email us at conservation@sierraclubncg.org.
Hello. I grew up on 1312 Hamilton Lane and my house backed to the Charham site. I lived there in the 80’s. I went to Del Dios Middle School and San Pasquale HS and had many friends as neighbors% the majority of my friends have experienced rare,health issues, including the rarest of rare brain tumors, one requiring open heart surgery in her 30’s with no family history of heart issues, and another that just passed this last summer from colon cancer at the age of 50. They were three sisters who lived on Bernardo and backed up to the dump site. My step dad suffered from bladder cancer in his 50’s, again no family history, my next door neighbor died of a rare kidney cancer, a friend who lived next door to the three sisters I mentioned earlie also suffers from a rare brain tumor and she wasn. Young woman when it was diagnosed. I myself,suffer from a thyroid disease, and my sister suffers from autoimmune diseases as well. We’re in our 40’s.
There were only a few dozen people living around that dump site in the 70’sand 80’s.the majority of whom have come down with tumors, cancers or lifetime afflictions.ive scoured the internet and have never seen one article about the real victims, although there are pleNty of Barth lesregarding the dangers of kids playing in Felicita park due to the plume. That’s great. But so many hVe and are suffering, and tragically, we have lost some people. The chemicals found in the soil are directly associated with the diseases we have uncovered. I simply wanted to know if anyone has delved into this issue any further.
Sincerely,
Alison Wieseler
(425) 753-0853
Hi Alison:
I am seeing this just now. Did anyone ever contact you? I am a neighbor near Felicita Park. I have been wondering for some time if there had been any reports of a localized area of people in the area with diseases associated to the toxic waste site.
Carolina Valder
858-449-4081