LOS ANGELES (CN) —The former owner of a North Hollywood landfill will spend $1 million to remove a carcinogen from groundwater, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday.
CalMet Corporation owned a landfill called the Hewitt site, which contaminated the groundwater in North Hollywood West with 1,4-dioxane.
The chemical is classified as a probable carcinogen that irritates the eyes and respiratory tracts and can cause organ damage.
The compound, found in dyes and paint strippers, is highly water soluble, so it easily pollutes groundwater.
CalMet reached a $1 million settlement with the EPA on Friday. It will install extraction wells and a treatment system at the site, which has been designated a Superfund site for more than 30 years.
The design is to be finished in 2019. CalMet will monitor groundwater on and off the site, and remediate it.
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