Stockton landfill operator alleges inmates of prison hospital exposed to hazardous water

A federal lawsuit filed by a corporate landfill operator just outside of Stockton alleges that inmates at a nearby prison hospital known as the California Health Care Facility are drinking well water that may be contaminated by toxic chemicals unfit for human consumption such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride.

The plaintiffs allege that on-site concentrations of these chemicals are increasing due to what they say is the ongoing operation of a dry cleaning and laundry facility at the site shared by multiple state departments, as well as the use of halogenated solvents in facility maintenance and a chlorinated well water treatment system that provided drinking water for inmates and staff. They also believe this contamination is interfering with nearby groundwater cleanup efforts.