Brockovich rallies to Hinkley's side

HINKLEY, Calif., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Erin Brockovich, famous for helping Hinkley, Calif., fight big business over contaminated water, is helping the town again -- this time over sewage.

The San Bernardino County Planning Commission approved an open-air sewage treatment facility last November, but opponents of the project -- eight miles west of Hinkley -- are concerned about the health effect of biosolids, the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise reported.

The facility could collect up to 2,000 tons of biosolids per day from sewage-treatment plants, for treatment to turn the waste into fertilizer for agriculture, the newspaper said.

Brockovich is providing financial assistance to pay for buses to bring residents to a hearing on the project Tuesday night, the Press-Enterprise reported.

The town's fight against contaminated water was the subject of the Oscar-winning movie, "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts.