California Rules Out Waste Dump as Cause of Kettleman Birth Defects

"State health investigators have ruled out a toxic waste dump as the cause of severe birth defects including heart problems and facial deformities in the impoverished Central California farming community of Kettleman City, according to a draft report released Monday.

Beyond narrowing their list of potential causes, state Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Public Health investigators were still unsure why 11 babies were born with physical deformities in Kettleman City between September 2007 and March 2010. Three of the babies died.

Tests of water, air and soil; analysis of pesticides; and interviews with six of the affected families did not suggest a common cause for the health problems."

Louis Sahagun reports for the Los Angeles Times November 23, 2010.