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Los Angeles Times
A contractor digging a hole in her back yard for a small pond and planter unearthed several cow carcasses Friday.
Sickened by the smell and concerned about the health effects for her and her three children, Kunkel temporarily moved out of the home and into a hotel paid for by the builder.
"It started when we were only one foot deep," Kunkel said. "At first we thought it was a dead chicken, but when he dug deeper, he found more down there. The smell was horrendous."
The legacy of more than 18,000 acres of dairy land around Ontario and Chino, about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, has complicated plans to build thousands of houses for a projected 130,000 new residents in the area.
The presence of methane, a byproduct of decaying manure and organic material, delayed construction of two schools and forced the retrofitting of homes.
High concentrations of nitrates and salts in some of the ground water make it undrinkable unless it is treated. The manure has contributed to air pollution in the area.
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