Employee personnel records removed from abandoned Modesto plant

It was a filthy job, but 40 workers spent Tuesday picking up papers — including confidential employee records — that had been blowing around an abandoned north Modesto industrial complex.

Crews from Stanislaus County's jail alternative work program filled four giant Dumpsters with paperwork and assorted trash left at the defunct Indalex aluminum plant.

"If a tornado had come through there, it would have looked better than it does now," said Darrell Chase of Turlock, who was required to pick through the upstairs offices. "We had to get all the papers out. There were cabinets with the drawers all dumped out. The desks were turned over, and there were ceiling tiles, insulation and everything on the floor."

Mixed in with all those files were personal documents, including Social Security numbers, medical records and sensitive employment information.

"I saw it all," Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson said. "But to the best of our ability, we located all the personnel records for former employees and removed them."

Christianson was angry taxpayers had to pay to clean up after Indalex, which went bankrupt and abandoned the Modesto building.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spent $500,000 removing toxic chemicals from the plant last year, but it didn't empty out the rooms and massive storage containers filed with papers.

Once the EPA left, looters and metal scavengers descended. They ripped into the storage containers and offices to remove the recyclable metals. That sent the paperwork flying.

When Bee stories revealed how personnel files were unprotected, jeopardizing the privacy of Indalex's former employees, the county stepped in.

The work crews donned masks so they wouldn't inhale the dust and they wore gloves to protect themselves from the garbage — including syringes and needles — that litters the 125,000-square-foot building.

"I used to work here back in 2003. It was all very organized then," said cleanup crew member Terry Navarro of Modesto. "I worked (through a temporary placement agency) in the shipping and receiving department, and we made good money."

Navarro said she spent the morning scooping up "old checks, invoices, shipping orders and stuff" left behind.

Former Indalex employee Tim McVay is furious company officials didn't secure their records.

"I worked for them for 10 years, and they did us pretty dirty. We trusted these people," said McVay, who called The Bee to complain about the company's handling of his employment records.

"What if somebody got my personal information?" McVay asked. He is concerned his identity might get stolen or his credit ruined. "Who's left to blame for that? Somebody has got to be held accountable."

Many people want to find someone to hold liable for the Indalex mess. Stanislaus County officials have been trying to figure out who is legally responsible for the building.

So far, no one admits to owning the nine-acre facility, which is on North Star Way.

Indalex closed the plant in 2008 and it went bankrupt in 2009. A bankruptcy court allowed the company to officially abandon the Modesto plant last year.

Since then, employees at nearby businesses have witnessed scavengers tearing the Indalex building apart little by little.

"We've sat here for months and watched the entire place being taking down," said Cathy Costa, who works across the street at Valley Business Machines. "If they can sell something for $1, they'll take it."

Nanette Mangan, who works next door at Lincare, recounted how metal thieves ripped up two flat bed tractor trailers that had been parked at Indalex.

"It took them a couple days, but they cut them all apart," Mangan said.

Because no one owns the Indalex building, trespassers, looters and scavengers can't be prosecuted, according to the sheriff. Christianson said he can't arrest them.

"We can run them off today, but they will be right back here tomorrow," he said.

Since Indalex didn't protect their former employees' personal information, the sheriff advises them to tell credit monitoring agencies to post fraud alerts on their files.

Here is contact information for the three major agencies:

• Experian: (888) 397-3742; www.experian.com; Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013.

• TransUnion: (800) 680-7289; https://fraud.transunion.com; TransUnion Fraud Victim Assistance, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton 92834.

• Equifax: (800) 525-6285; www.equifax.com; Equifax Security Freeze, P.O. Box 105788, Atlanta30348.

Bee staff writer J.N. Sbranti can be reached at jnsbranti@modbee.com or (209) 578-2196.