Number	22921
Subject	Environment
Source	Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.)
State	CA
Year	2006
Publication Date	06/25/2006
Summary	Reporters Sarah Ruby and James Burger look into the reason why California's Kern County has so many toxic waste dumps. They found that many companies came to the county as recycling companies in recent decades, promising to turn hazardous waste into road base or other useful things. Instead, they made toxic dump piles. The Kern County Health Department had turned a blind eye to these activities, trying to "work" with the companies, but this strategy failed. BY the time the state had to step in to try to solve the problem, the culpable companies were gone, and taxpayers had to foot the cleanup bill.
Category	Contest Entry -- Tom Renner Award Category
Pages	21
Keywords	Toxic waste; pollution; Kern County, CA; Bakersfield, CA; environmental health
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