Ralph Gray Trucking Company Superfund Site (Westminster)

During the 1930's the immediate area was primarily used for agricultural purposes and the site was the Murdy Dairy Farm. Public records indicate that, beginning in 1936, Ralph Gray collected acid sludge, oil field wastes, and oil refinery wastes and disposed of them in four unlined pits at the farm. Due to complaints from local residents regarding the odor from the facility, the city of Westminster ordered Ralph Gray to cease operations in the late 1930s. The disposal pits were abandoned in place and remained undisturbed until the construction of 75 homes in the late 1950's. The Hintz Development Company moved the hazardous substances from the pits and buried it in two unlined trenches cut through the backyard areas of about 25 of the lots before the homes were built. The waste trenches were approximately 16 feet deep, 20 feet wide, and covered with three to four feet of soil. In addition, five homes were built directly over one of the original waste pits.

By 1965, some residents reported problems with a black sludge seeping into their yards from the ground. The sludge retained a semi-solid form at the ground surface, but became more fluid in hot weather. In addition, the seep material had a distinct and unpleasant odor. Some residents also found buried waste material in their backyards during excavation for swimming pools and house additions. As a result, the residents routinely complained to city officials about the waste throughout the 1970's.

re: www.epa.gov/region09/cleanup/california.html

Cleanup activities have been concluded.
re: www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/d040928.htm#FR2