Judge Dumps Dump

A San Diego County (CA) Superior Court judge tentatively ruled on New Year's Eve against building--what some authorities say would be--one of the world's largest garbage landfills. The 2000-acre landfill would situate at the abandoned Eagle Mountain iron ore mine adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park in eastern Riverside County. The project called for up to 10,000 tons of waste a day to freight by rail from Los Angeles and Orange counties. The ruling reportedly resulted from perceived threats to the park's desert tortoise, desert floor, and "wilderness experience."

The tentative ruling could become final if the judge rejects rebuttal arguments made in court on December 31 by lawyers representing Riverside County. The chief administrative officer for Riverside County said that he was unsure whether the county would appeal should the ruling become final.

The judge had stayed the project in 1994 for the developer, Mine Reclamation Corp. of Palm Desert, to find ways to lessen its environmental impact. Kaiser Steel, which operated the Eagle Mountain mine until its closure in 1982, is the majority shareholder in Mine Reclamation.