Contaminated-soil removal to begin at old steel-plant site in California

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and the City of Huntington Park in California will begin work on Thursday to remove roughly 5,600 tons of contaminated soil from a manufacturing site in the city.

The site was first used to manufacture manure in 1923, then switched to a steel manufacturing facility in 1928, changing hands between several owners until 1972, when it was purchased by Southland Steel. The facility was shut down in 2002, and the site was purchased by the city’s Redevelopment Agency in 2005.

Contamination tests of the site showed various substances impacting the soil, including arsenic, cadmium, lead and poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The contaminated soil will be removed from five areas around the 5.1-acre site. Funding for the project was provided by the EPA through a $200,000 grant from the Brownfields Program and by the DTSC, with $800,000 from the Revolving Loan Fund and $200,000 from a grant.

The property is currently being leased by Alexander Imports and is being used as a parking lot. After the soil removal, the company plans to purchase the site and turn it into a BMW electric-vehicle dealership.