Hearing on PCBs - Problems of Use and Alternatives for Disposal

Our hearing this morning is concerned with the health and environmental effects posed by the use and disposal of PCB\u27s - Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Because of the numerous incidents involving PCB spills and the increasing amount of liquid PCB waste accumulating in California, this Committee has a responsibility to examine these effects and insure they do not pose a risk to the public health and environment. At this hearing, we\u27ll examine the long and short term human health hazards caused by the exposure to PCB\u27s. There has been a general concern that these very stable compounds may escape into the environment from accidents and leakages or while in interim storage. The State\u27s appropriate goal is to insure that these substances are destroyed by an acceptable method

Hearing on An Evaluation of Hazardous Waste Management in California

The reason for this hearing is that last year my Sub-committee on Toxic Materials had a number of interim hearings to find information regarding toxic waste and the management of toxic waste and we felt that there was considerable confusion and what appeared to be a lack of coordination among the various departments in the state which had to deal with hazardous waste and so we requested the Auditor General to see how the laws that are on the books are being implemented and to see what is being done in the Department of Health Services and other departments. We are having this hearing today as a result of the Auditor General\u27s audit and report

Hearing on PCBs - Problems of Use and Alternatives for Disposal

Our hearing this morning is concerned with the health and environmental effects posed by the use and disposal of PCB\u27s - Polychlorinated Biphenyls. Because of the numerous incidents involving PCB spills and the increasing amount of liquid PCB waste accumulating in California, this Committee has a responsibility to examine these effects and insure they do not pose a risk to the public health and environment. At this hearing, we\u27ll examine the long and short term human health hazards caused by the exposure to PCB\u27s. There has been a general concern that these very stable compounds may escape into the environment from accidents and leakages or while in interim storage. The State\u27s appropriate goal is to insure that these substances are destroyed by an acceptable method

Hearing on Groundwater Contamination

Our hearing this morning is concerned with the health and environmental effects of groundwater contamination and strategies for the monitoring and cleanup of contaminated wells. Because the contamination of drinking water by organic chemicals is widely evident, this committee has a responsibility to examine these effects and insure they do not impose a risk to the public health and environment. This hearing will examine the development of groundwater contamination in the San Gabriel Valley and the associated health risks of exposure to organic chemical contaminants such as tricholoroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). There has been a general concern that these substances have a variety of health effects in exposed humans and test animals. We will also examine state efforts to coordinate monitoring programs for the wells. Finally, we will address the concerns of affected water utilities and their efforts to clean up wells contaminated with TCE and PCE. The examination of various funding mechanisms for clean up costs will be a primary focus today