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Southern California company will pay U.S. EPA $413,540 for Superfund cleanup

Release Date: 8/12/2005
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815, Cell: (213) 798-1404, Main press line: (415) 947-8700

Settlement resolves liability, benefitting groundwater cleanup

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Stoody Company have agreed to a settlement that requires the company to pay up to $413,540 for past releases at the Puente Valley unit of the San Gabriel Valley Superfund site, Area 4 in and around the City of Industry.

The recently approved settlement which releases the Stoody Company of liability associated with past releases at the site was agreed to by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

"The EPA is committed to ensuring that parties responsible for contamination pay to address it," said Keith Takata, director of the EPA's Pacific Southwest Superfund Office. "This agreement ensures that Stoody Company, even in bankruptcy, contributes to the cleanup of the site."

The Stoody Company, located at 16425 Gale Avenue, manufactured welding wire, electrodes and special wear-resistant cast products beginning in 1976. Stoody used tetrachloroethene, dichloroethene and dichloroethene at the facility B volatile organic compounds used as industrial degreasing solvents which can affect nervous and respiratory systems. These VOCs are found in the contaminated groundwater being addressed by the EPA's cleanup.

Sections of the San Gabriel Valley became Superfund sites in 1984, including multiple areas with groundwater contaminated by volatile organic compounds commonly used as a degreaser. The contaminated groundwater lies under significant portions of Alhambra, Irwindale, La Puente, Rosemead, Azusa, Baldwin Park, City of Industry, El Monte, South El Monte, West Covina, and other areas of the San Gabriel Valley.

For more information on the EPA's Superfund program, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/sfund/