PG&E May Buy Hinkley Homes Above Toxic Plume

HINKLEY (AP) — Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has proposed buying up to 100 properties, including homes, in a California desert town where a spreading toxic plume is contaminating groundwater with cancer-causing chrominum 6.

The Mojave Desert farming community of Hinkley got national attention in the 2000 movie "Erin Brockovich," which focused on PG&E's $333 million settlement with more than 600 Hinkley over chromium contamination.

The San Francisco-based utility told residents of the farming community 13 miles west of Barstow that it is expanding its property purchase program because the 2 1/2-mile long, 1-mile wide plume is spreading.

PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said Friday that letters were sent Wednesday to property owners. He says the utility wants to talk to them at this point.

The San Bernardino County Sun says PG&E may buy homes or land that sit over the plume, where chromium levels exceed 3.1 parts per billion.

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