A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency consultant says a vintage air conditioning system at the Walt Disney Studios may be a source of Burbank The Los Angeles Times says the studio is among a list of facilities being investigated as possible sources of chromium 6 contamination. The cancer-causing heavy metal is widely used in aerospace manufacturing and other industries.
California health officials tested soil two years ago in a nearby park that had received discharges from Disney's cooling system. It was reported that chromium 6 levels were not a public health threat.
Lockheed Martin Corp. paid $60 million in 1996 to settle claims by residents who said exposure to chromium 6 and other toxins at its former Burbank aircraft plant left them with cancer and other maladies.