Residents object to sewage plant

HINKLEY, Calif., Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Residents of Hinkley, Calif., the town made famous by a lawsuit against a gas company for alleged pollution, say they now face another corporate health risk.

People in the desert town, where activist Erin Brockovich worked with others to obtain a multimillion-dollar settlement from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for alleged water pollution that was blamed for many illnesses in the town, say sewage composting company Nursery Products wants to move in eight miles away, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday.

The company said it plans to use 80 acres of Mojave desert to compost 400,000 tons of sludge every year.

"We're tired of being lab rats," said resident Mark Orr, who has to take a multiple prescription drugs every day to compensate for the removal of his thyroid gland when he was 19. "My mother has cancer. My dad didn't make it. (Nursery Products) says we 'shouldn't' be affected by their operations, but 'shouldn't' just doesn't work for me."

A final decision on whether the project goes forward is expected within the next few weeks from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.