Dive Brief:

• State officials in California announced the approval of an expansion plan at the Kettleman Hills landfill. The site is the largest toxic waste landfill in the West.
• The Waste Management-operated site was granted a 15- million cubic yard-expansion, which works out to be about 15 additional acres of land. The expansion will increase the size of the landfill by 50%.
• Some residents in the community were against the expansion, citing health issues they believe are the result of the toxic materials deposited at the landfill.

Dive Insight:

Chemical Waste Management spokesperson Lily Quiroa told The Washington Post that studies conducted at the site show no health impacts on the community, and continued that many objections raised were voiced by those who don't reside within the area. Deborah Raphael, director of the California Department of Toxic Substances, also noted that state and federal studies found no links between the landfill and birth defects. It is often difficult to prove the origin of hazardous substances, and in regard to the Kettleman site, no ties linked the site to health problems.