Oregon Public Broadcasting

An illegal waste dump in Central Washington included pesticides, car batteries and used oil that contaminated ground water.

The state departments of Agriculture and Ecology have fined a Grandview, Washington farmer more than $200,000.

Investigators also suspect that Jim Hansen has another six waste pits on his two-square-mile property.

Brian Dick is a state ecology manager for hazardous waste in Yakima. He says this is the worst case of dumping he's seen in 20 years.

Brian Dick: "This is so recent. This is a time when everyone out there basically knows better. And so this type of thing would not be occurring. These pits were dug right down into ground water."

Dick says these types of illegal dumps are unusual because hazardous wastes like those buried on this Central Washington farm can be properly disposed of or recycled for free.