Friday, August 14, 2009

Board Fines Industrial Company for Contamination

While making profits is their main goal, companies, as members of the community, are responsible in observing and respecting the laws of man and of the nature as well.

When an industrial company Ametek Inc. contaminated the groundwater plume in El Cajon, the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board imposed a fine of $600,000. The board threatened to double the penalty should Ametek Inc. failed to act upon board’s demands.

The board revealed that Ametek Inc. was responsible for the trichloroethene and other toxins leak at their former plant on Greenfield Drive. It further revealed that it already pushed for mapping and treatment of the chemicals for 20 years but had been delayed due to legal issues, bureaucracy and efforts of Ametek Inc. to comply without penalties.

While the board did not cite any direct health concerns with the plume, a human exposure to it may result to dizziness, organ damage and even death.

The board expected that in few months Ametek Inc. would be able to finish mapping the underground waste flow and propose a remedy. In the end, the company must meet soil and groundwater cleanup levels set by the water board or else the board will impose a stiffer penalty.

With various environmental threats and contaminants, all must exert effort to contribute in making the earth a habitable planet for the coming generations.

In pursuit of this, legal means may be resorted to compel stubborn companies to follow the rules through the help of expert and experienced personal injury lawyers knowledgeable on the matter.