Montrose CERCLA

Summary

• LOCATION: Offshore Palos Verdes Peninsula and waters of the Southern California Bight, Los Angeles and adjacent counties.
• DATE: Chronic, remediation in progress
• INCIDENT SUMMARY: Between the late 1940's and the early 1970's, the Montrose Chemical Plant discharged an estimated 1,800 tons of the pesticide DDT into Los Angeles County sewers that empty into the Pacific Ocean. Montrose also dumped hundreds of tons of DDT-contaminated waste into the ocean near Santa Catalina Island. Other Los Angeles area industries also flushed massive amounts of PCBs into the ocean via the local sewer system.
• RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Montrose Chemical Corporation, Aventis CropScience USA Inc., Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., Atkemix Thirty-Seven Inc., Potlatch Corporation, Simpson Paper Company, CBS Westinghouse, County Sanitation District No. 2, and approximately 150 municipalities.
• NATURAL RESOURCE TRUSTEES: California Department of Fish and Wildlife; California State Lands Commission; California Department of Parks and Recreation; United States Fish and Wildlife Service; National Parks Service; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• RESOURCES IMPACTED: Breeding failures in raptors (Bald Eagle and Peregrine Falcon); contamination in fish caught by commercial and recreational fishermen; other impacts to marine ecosystem.
• SETTLEMENT DETAILS: The trustees settled the NRDA portion of the case for $30 million.
• STATUS OF RESTORATION: See Phase 1 and Phase 2 Restoration Plan/EIS/EIR for details (External Documents). Restoration projects in progress.

Available Documents

• Notice of Determination (PDF)
• See the external links below for copies of the Restoration Plan and further information

External References

• NOAA - Montrose Settlements Restoration Program
• NOAA - Phase 1 Restoration Plan
• NOAA - Phase 2 Restoration Plan (PDF)

Contact

Michael Anderson
Michael.Anderson@wildlife.ca.gov
(916) 375-6672