The Region - News from April 17, 1985

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a Kern County disposal site for storage of World War II oil refinery sludge from the McColl dump in Fullerton, paving the way for removal of the hazardous waste beginning May 15. The EPA gave its approval to Petroleum Waste Inc. of Bakersfield as an acceptable site to receive the estimated 200,000 tons of waste from the McColl dump. State officials overseeing the Superfund cleanup project informally awarded the disposal contract to the firm, lowest of four bidders for the McColl waste at $31.50 a ton. The disposal site is situated off California 58 about 36 miles west of Bakersfield near Buttonwillow. The McColl dump site was created during World II in then-rural Fullteron by oil companies producing military aviation fuel.