photo credit: Caltrans
Some of the haz-mat refuse dumped along Hwy. 101. 

Caltrans is asking for the public's help following a series of illegal hazardous material dumpings along U.S. Highway 101 in Mendocino County, the agency said Wednesday.

On Monday, 19 barrels containing hazardous waste were removed from an embankment south of Leggett near the Empire Rest Area, Caltrans said.

The cost of the cleanup and disposal of the materials is estimated at $30,000.

"Luckily, we've avoided any major environmental hazards thus far," said Caltrans District 1 Hazardous Materials Manager Danny Figueiredo. "At the cleanup site on Monday, the materials were only 10 feet away from dropping over a cliff with a drop of about 50 to 75 feet right into the creek. The creek has fresh running water, with fish, and that would have been disastrous."

The barrels were removed with the help of the California Highway Patrol, the Mendocino County Environmental Health Department, and Redwood Empire Hazmat Incident Response, Caltrans said.

The string of incidents began in November with two illegal dumps in Hopland, and then again in March in Laytonville near the Shamrock Ranch, and most recently south of Leggett, Caltrans said.

"The evidence collected indicates that the materials found at all four sites originated from the Bay Area, possibly from an old construction or roof insulation company in Livermore," said Figueiredo.

If anyone has information or has seen any suspicious activity regarding the dumping of barrels of commercial hazardous waste along U.S. Highway 101 in Mendocino County, please contact the CHP (707) 932-6100.