In 2011, David Valentine, a marine scientist from UC Santa Barbara, had the loan of a deep-sea robot and some extra time on his hands. So, he began chasing down a rumor.
There was speculation that the Torrance-based Montrose Chemical Company, the largest manufacturer of DDT in the world, had dumped thousands of barrels containing DDT-contaminated sludge between Palos Verdes and Catalina for years.
The sea floor just off Palos Verdes was already an ecological disaster. It had been declared a superfund site because of the DDT which the plant dumped into the sea through the sewage system and which was responsible for decimating the populations of bald eagles, brown pelicans and falcons on the off-shore islands.
Now Valentine confirmed his worst fears. The rusting, leaking barrels revealed a far more extensive disaster located in far deeper waters nearer to Catalina Island.
In a new story, Los Angeles Times environment reporter Rosanna Xia relates the deadly history of DDT, Montrose and the superfund site and the newer discovery and what it means. She spoke to KPBS Midday Edition Tuesday.