STOP: WESTLEY
LISTEN/DOWNLOAD [MP3]
SB CUE Westley 4 /Los Angeles 311 Mileage sign
NB CUE Westley Exit 1mi.
SITE
Westley Tire Fire site
View LANDSAT Map
LOCATION
The vicinity of 4401 and 4549 Ingram Creek Road
THREATS AND CONTAMINANTS
Toxic air pollution, groundwater contamination from 50,000 gallons of pyrolytic oil, and four million gallons of contaminated fire fighting water runoff, respiratory illness and other potential harmful human health effects
VOICE
Juan Luna, Maria Luna, John Mataka, Grayson Neighborhood Council
On September 22, 1999 a lightning strike ignited a tire fire in Westley, California where an estimated five million scrap tires burned for thirty-four days at an illegal tire dump on forty acres owned by rancher Ed Filbin.
The large smoke plume from the fire impacted nearby farming communities of Westley, Patterson, and Newman causing widespread concern of potential damaging human and environmental health affects from exposure to the toxic contaminants in smoke. Health problems affecting area residents included eye discomfort, chronic headaches, nosebleeds, asthma, bronchitis, skin irritation, sore throat, runny nose, coughing, wheezing and dizziness. The fire produced a dense layer of black smoke containing an array of toxic substances including benzene, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, 1,3-butadiene in addition to other human carcinogens including arsenic, lead, chromium and dioxin - recognized by the EPA in 1985 as the most potent carcinogen known to science.
Once considered the largest tire dump in the world according to Modern Tire Dealer, the scrap tire pile contained forty-two million tires stacked as high as sixty feet that had been collected by Filbin for over forty years. During the late 1980s through the 1990s, Filbin leased his land to a privately owned tire-burning power plant for operation, which also purchased the tire pile for fuel. Ownership of the plant and the physical pile changed hands several times, eventually closing in 2000. The same year, the State along with 11,000 plaintiffs filed a civil suit against Filbin and other defendants, which at this time is still unresolved. It is estimated that the eventual cleanup of the site could run over a half-million dollars.
LISTEN/DOWNLOAD [MP3]
SB CUE Westley 4 /Los Angeles 311 Mileage sign
NB CUE Westley Exit 1mi.
SITE
Westley Tire Fire site
View LANDSAT Map
LOCATION
The vicinity of 4401 and 4549 Ingram Creek Road
THREATS AND CONTAMINANTS
Toxic air pollution, groundwater contamination from 50,000 gallons of pyrolytic oil, and four million gallons of contaminated fire fighting water runoff, respiratory illness and other potential harmful human health effects
VOICE
Juan Luna, Maria Luna, John Mataka, Grayson Neighborhood Council
On September 22, 1999 a lightning strike ignited a tire fire in Westley, California where an estimated five million scrap tires burned for thirty-four days at an illegal tire dump on forty acres owned by rancher Ed Filbin.
The large smoke plume from the fire impacted nearby farming communities of Westley, Patterson, and Newman causing widespread concern of potential damaging human and environmental health affects from exposure to the toxic contaminants in smoke. Health problems affecting area residents included eye discomfort, chronic headaches, nosebleeds, asthma, bronchitis, skin irritation, sore throat, runny nose, coughing, wheezing and dizziness. The fire produced a dense layer of black smoke containing an array of toxic substances including benzene, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, 1,3-butadiene in addition to other human carcinogens including arsenic, lead, chromium and dioxin - recognized by the EPA in 1985 as the most potent carcinogen known to science.
Once considered the largest tire dump in the world according to Modern Tire Dealer, the scrap tire pile contained forty-two million tires stacked as high as sixty feet that had been collected by Filbin for over forty years. During the late 1980s through the 1990s, Filbin leased his land to a privately owned tire-burning power plant for operation, which also purchased the tire pile for fuel. Ownership of the plant and the physical pile changed hands several times, eventually closing in 2000. The same year, the State along with 11,000 plaintiffs filed a civil suit against Filbin and other defendants, which at this time is still unresolved. It is estimated that the eventual cleanup of the site could run over a half-million dollars.
