Parents of Kettleman City, a small town halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco are concerned over the large amount of birth deformities in their town. Approximately 20 babies were born during the 14 months beginning in September 2007. Five of the babies were born with oral deformities known as clefts. While three of them died, two others are undergoing medical treatment. The normal rate for this type of deformity in California is one in every 800 births.

The resident of the town suspect the facial deformities are linked to a nearby toxic waste dump.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that it plans to investigate these birth defects and other health issues among migrant farm workers in the impoverished California enclave as part of the Obama administration's pledge to shift the agency's attention toward issues of environmental justice.

Meanwhile, the dump is set to be expanded to accommodate waste from large population centers like Los Angeles. Residents have filed a lawsuit against the Kings County Board of Supervisors challenging its approval of the expansion. "Kettleman City is a very vulnerable community at the confluence of large agriculture and pesticide use, heavy truck traffic, a chemical waste facility accepting PCBs and a proposed 600-megawatt power plant," Jared Blumenfeld (administrator for the EPA's Pacific Southwest region) said. "This is also a community trying to get its voice heard.

The EPA's announcement was welcomed by Chemical Waste Management, which owns the toxic waste facility. "We think our site is very protective of human health and the environment," according to company spokeswoman Kit Cole, "But we also recognize that the families of Kettleman City need and deserve answers."