A string of illegal hazardous waste dumps along Highway 101 in Mendocino County has been tied to a now-defunct Bay Area construction business, according to Caltrans officials. The agency is working with the California Highway Patrol to investigate, and they’re asking the public for help.
On Monday, 19 barrels containing hazardous waste were removed from an embankment south of Leggett, near the Empire Camp Rest Area, Caltrans said in a news release. The cleanup cost is estimated at $30,000.
“Luckily, we’ve avoided any major environmental hazards thus far,” said Caltrans District 1 Hazardous Materials Manager Danny Figueiredo in the press release. “At the cleanup site on Monday, the materials were only 10 feet away from dropping over a cliff with a drop of about 50 to 75 feet right into the creek. The creek has fresh running water, with fish, and that would have been disastrous.”…