Kettleman City Residents File Lawsuit against Kings County's Approval of Toxic Dump expansion

Kettleman City, CA -- The Kettleman City community group El pueblo Para El Aire y Agua Limpio/People for Clean Air and Water, and Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice today filed a lawsuit against Kings County, asking the Kings County Superior Court to invalidate the permit approved by the County Board of Supervisors on December 22, 2009 for the proposed expansion of one of the nation's largest hazardous waste dumps, the giant Chemical Waste Management Kettleman Hills hazardous waste landfill.

The lawsuit alleges that the permit should be invalidated due to the County's violation of the California Environmental Quality Act and California Government Code 11135, the state's civil rights law. Kettleman City residents and their allies believe that the County failed to conduct a thorough and proper review and evaluation of the many negative environmental impacts of the proposed expansion of the toxic waste dump. The lawsuit is also based on the County's violation of state civil rights law due to the discriminatory effect the permit approval and permit process had on Latino residents of Kettleman City.

"My family and my neighbors have the right to justice and a healthy environment," said Maricela Mares-Alatorre, Kettleman City resident and spokesperson for El Pueblo. "Kings County officials and politicians are wrong to think that they can treat us as if we have no rights and ignore the law, so we are asking the Court for justice."

This announcement comes one week after residents won a huge victory when they forced Chem Waste to reverse their position and reject proposed shipments of radioactive waste.

The Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment represent the plaintiffs in this historic lawsuit.