A coalition of community groups opposing Waste Management's Kettleman Hills operation announced today that it will appeal Monday's Kings County Planning Commission decision to approve the company's controversial landfill expansion plan.

Waste Management plans to expand its existing hazardous waste landfill by 14 acres and build a new 64-acre landfill. The company says -- and the county Planning Commissioners agreed -- the project is important because Kettleman is one of only two sites in the state that accept hazardous waste and because the expansion will extend the life of the facility by more than 30 years.

The appeal asks the county Board of Supervisors to reject the permit issued to Waste Management for the project. The appeal alleges numerous defects and violations in the permit process. The groups claim that the Local Assessment Committee process was illegal, that the environmental health risk analysis was faulty and that the county failed to investigate the recent spike in birth defect and infant deaths in Kettleman City.

(Oct. 23, 2009)