The full extent of the potential environmental problem at the leasedSolyndra facility remains unclear. Officials at iStar say in court papers that they were not given the keys to the premises until this month, thoughSolyndra stopped making its lease payments in September when it filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware.
“There may be at the premises based on the materials the debtor has left behind, which consist, in part, of open containers of unidentified chemical waste and lead processing machinery,” iStar attorney Karen Bifferatowrote in a recent court filing.
Photographs attached to the iStar court filing provide an inside look atSolyndra’s stripped-down facility after the company hauled away whatever equipment might fetch money at auction.
In one picture, two large blue drums are filled with a black substance with no secure lids and covered instead with clear plastic wrap. Another photograph shows a yellow drum about the size of a large garbage can containing a yellow-brown gooey substance.
Yet another picture shows a large machine with a metallic tube coming from the top and another tube from the side. Both tubes display the words “lead exhaust.” A smaller sign on the front of the machine says “toxic” next to what appears to be a small skull and crossbones. A large structure outside the facility has the words “Argon Refrigerated Liquid” on its side.
Court filings from the landlord also describe a high temperature oven assembly that is connected to an outside collection system, all of which are contaminated with lead.
“It is not yet known if the lead contaminated equipment at the iStarpremises poses an imminent health problem, and since iStar only recently obtained access … it is in the process of having the lead contamination investigated,” the landlord stated in court papers.
At a bankruptcy hearing Wednesday, Ms. Bifferato said the landlord is worried that it will be stuck with “a big mess with potential environmental problems,” including Environmental Protection Agency violations.