Hinkley, California
Hinkley is a small unincorporated community in western San Bernardino County, north of State Route 58 and west of Barstow. Its name dates to 1882, when the railroad corridor across the Mojave Desert was being established. The community was originally spelled Hinckley and was named for Hinckley Henderson, son of a pioneer Barstow merchant. [1]
For much of the twentieth century, Hinkley was a rural farming and ranching district. A regional account describes corn, melons, grapes, alfalfa, dairying, cattle, chickens, and turkeys as part of the local economy. It was served by the Santa Fe Railway and Highway 466, an earlier highway designation associated with the present State Route 58 corridor. [1]
Hinkley later became nationally known because of groundwater contamination associated with PG&E's Hinkley Compressor Station. The station was part of a natural-gas pipeline system transporting gas from Texas to California. To control corrosion in cooling equipment, hexavalent chromium, commonly called chromium-6, was added to cooling water. From 1952 to 1964, wastewater containing the compound was discharged to unlined ponds at the site. Some of the wastewater infiltrated the groundwater. [2]
In the early 1990s, Erin Brockovich, working with attorney Edward L. Masry's firm, helped investigate residents' concerns and organize the case against PG&E. In 1996, PG&E agreed to a $333 million settlement with Hinkley residents who alleged that contaminated water had caused illnesses. The settlement was among the largest environmental settlements of its time and later became the basis for the 2000 film Erin Brockovich. [3]
The Hinkley cleanup did not end with the settlement. The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board has continued to require groundwater monitoring, containment, treatment, and replacement-water measures where needed. Scientific work has also distinguished chromium associated with the PG&E releases from naturally occurring chromium in Hinkley Valley groundwater. [2][4][5]
Hinkley's story is therefore more than the story made famous by a film. It is a railroad and agricultural community whose history was permanently shaped by a long-running groundwater problem.
References
[1] California Interstate Telephone Company. Romantic Heritage of the Mojave River Valley: A Saga of Transportation and Desert Frontiers. Reproduced in "Heritage of the Mojave River Valley."[2] U.S. Geological Survey. "Results of Hexavalent Chromium Background Study in Hinkley, California." 2023.
[3] Frank Clifford. "Utility to Pay $333 Million to Settle Suit." Los Angeles Times, July 3, 1996.
[4] California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region. Cleanup and Abatement Order No. R6V-2015-0068. November 4, 2015.
[5] California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region. Status Report on Cleanup Activities Concerning Chromium Contamination from PG&E's Hinkley Compressor Station. January 30, 2025.
Hinkley, California, is a small unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, known primarily for its historical connection to groundwater contamination issues. Here's an overview of its history:
~ Heritage of the Mojave River Valley
