ARVIN, Calif. -- There are new accusations for the operators of Community
Recycling. A community group in Arvin says it has proof a deadly gas is
drifting off the composting facility's property.
Committee for a Better Arvin says it
took air samples near the Community Recycling property then sent them to a lab.
The organization says the results prove hydrogen sulfide is in the air near the
plant.
Some people in Arvin have long
suspected that Community Recycling was releasing toxic gas into the atmosphere.
After two workers at the facility died in October from suspected hydrogen
sulfide poisoning, the suspicions only grew.
So, the Committee for a Better Arvin
took air samples just outside the fence of Community Recycling back in
December. Those samples were then sent to Global Community Monitor for testing.
"The samples confirm that we
were thinking the right way. We now have proof that it is up in the air,"
said the president of the Committee for a Better Arvin Sal Partida.
Global Community Monitor says the
samples showed more than twice the safe amount of hydrogen sulfide in the air.
They say at those levels they say a person could suffer a long list of
symptoms, including headaches, nausea and depression. Global Community Monitor
says hydrogen sulfide can also affect the health of children.
"Maybe it’s one of those
affects that we are suffering here for years, and didn’t know about it,"
Partida said.
Sal Partida says the results could
be the basis of a class action lawsuit of the people of Arvin against Community
Recycling. Even though Partida said he expected the test results to be bad, he
is shocked and angered at just how bad they turned out.
"Mostly disappointed in the
company, that they never told us the truth to protect ourselves," Partida
said.
County supervisors voted to close
the facility back in November, but that decision is being appealed in the
courts. So, for now, Community Recycling is still operating.
Late
Thursday an engineer for Community Recycling sent 23ABC a statement saying the
source of hydrogen sulfide could have been from something other than their
operation. It said it wants to see the lab report so they can examine how and
where the samples were taken. The company also said it is in complete
compliance with all court orders. | 
