Arsenic occurs naturally in the local groundwater, which the plant uses in its daily operations. The agency discovered that the facility produced arsenic from the treatment of wastewater, but it 'allowed federally regulated levels of arsenic to be released to the environment, potentially exposing its workers to hazardous waste.'

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, all hazardous substances must be stored, handled, and disposed of using procedures that protect the environment and public health.

Since the investigation, the corporation responsible for the California plant 'has put in place cost-effective engineering controls to minimize further releases of arsenic. The facility implemented initial correction measures immediately after the inspection, and a year later installed a more permanent barrier to confine the arsenic,' reports the EPA press release.

'Arsenic has different forms—organic and inorganic—and the inorganic form is far more dangerous than the organic one,' states Michael Chapman, Chemical Laboratory Manager at LA Testing, Inc. 'LA Testing is one of the few laboratories in the country with the capabilities to perform arsenic speciation testing to determine what type of arsenic is in the sample.'

To learn more about LA Testing's lead services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. 

About LA Testing, Inc.
LA Testing is a local provider of environmental testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The companies have an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.