Abstract: A novel bacterium named Pseudomonas cepacia PR1.sub.23 (formerly designated G4 5223 PR1) has the desirable property of constitutively degrading hazardous chemicals, for example trichloroethylene, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2 dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, toluene, phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, o-xylene, and benzene, to harmless chemical entities. This microbe, and mutants thereof which retain the constitutive degradation property of the parent, can be used in bioreactor and in situ processes for degrading hazardous chemical compounds. The nucleic acid sequences which encode the degradative peptides have also been isolated and sequenced. Cells transformed with the isolated nucleic acid also produce the peptides comprising the enzyme which can constitutively degrade these hazardous chemicals.