 ARID WON’T HELP THESE PITS Shannon Foster (nine years old) carries a protest sign at the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board hearing in the Riverside City Council chambers on July 2, 1980. The hearing convened to decide a cleanup remedy for the Stringfellow Acid Pits. After five hours of deliberation and public testimony by Glen Avon residents concerning the health hazards caused by the toxic waste, total removal of the waste, estimated at $11 million, was approved by the board. However, the victory by the Glen Avon Community was short lived. Ultimately, the Water Board would opt for an “Interim” abatement plan (a clay cap) to cover the Stringfellow Site instead of complete removal of the toxic waste. The Clay Cap still covers the Acid Pits today. Photograph by Greg Crowder |