Hinkley, California

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Hinkley is an unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert in California, 14 miles west of Barstow, 59 miles east of Mojave, and 47 miles north of Victorville. According to the US Census Bureau, it has a 2000 population of 1,915 within the 92347 Zip Code.

The community is associated with Erin Brockovich who, as a legal clerk to the lawyer Edward L. Masry, investigated Pacific Gas & Electric for their contribution to unclean water in the town. The water contained Hexavalent chromium, which was accepted as being a carcinogen, though some studies find no relationship between chromate and cancer. Her successful fight against PG&E became well known in the public's mind, as did Hinkley, when the film of her story was released in 2000 (Erin Brockovich).

Of note are the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 figures, in which 308 people (29 per cent of the population) are categorized as having a disability, a higher than average figure when compared to the national average of about 19 per cent.