Auto metal shredder accused of dumping haz
Carissa Marsh
Simi Valley Acorn
10/07/2011
An Orange County-based metal shredder recently agreed to a nearly $3-million settlement to resolve charges of air pollution violations and illegal disposal of hazardous waste at local landfills, but this does nothing to allay the concerns of Simi Valley leaders fearful of the effects the company’s wrongdoing may have had at the Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling Center.
“We’ve always been very united on keeping our residents safe, and that’s the critical issue at this point,” Councilmember Glen Becerra told his colleagues while discussing the issue during the City Council’s Sept. 12 meeting.
“What, in fact, is up there? Is it dangerous? And if it is up there and is dangerous, what steps can be taken to mitigate it?”
On Sept. 8, the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office announced that a $2.9-million settlement had been reached with the owner and operator of SA Recycling LLC, a metal recycler headquartered in Anaheim.
A Los Angeles County judge accepted the settlement agreement Aug. 31, resolving a complaint that SA Recycling violated hazardous waste and air pollution laws in 2007.
Among the alleged violations listed in the complaint—and the one that concerns city leaders— was that residue from the auto shredder destined for the Simi Valley Landfill exceeded regulatory thresholds for lead, zinc or cadmium.
DTSC Director Debbie Raphael said in a news release that the $2.9-million settlement is “a step in the right direction.”
“The agreement will enhance this facility’s ability to stay in compliance with air emissions requirements,” Raphael said. “More work needs to be done with the metal shredder industry. Addressing the range of issues associated with this industry is one of my top priorities.”
Most of the settlement money—$ 1.7 million—will be used to install an up-to-date air pollution control system for the Terminal Island shredder at the Port of Los Angeles.
In addition, $480,000 will go toward various academic, environmental, community and research organizations.
SA Recycling must pay $428,640 to DTSC for investigative costs and enforcement tools, such as surveillance equipment. The company must also pay $321,175 to L.A. County for civil penalties and investigative costs and equipment.
Finally, the settlement calls for SA Recycling to install an up-todate air pollution control system at its other two facilities in Anaheim and Bakersfield to minimize emissions.
However, none of this addresses the hazardous waste that was illegally disposed of at the Simi Valley Landfill.
The disposal of treated auto shredder waste (ASW) was a major concern of the now-disbanded Simi Valley Landfill Expansion Task Force during negotiations for the expansion of the Simi landfill. And although Waste Management’s expansion project was approved, that hasn’t quelled those concerns since ASW is still used daily to cover layers of trash at the landfill.
“You need to demand that the allegations contained in the complaint . . . are answered,” said Alice Sterling, a local environmental advocate who sat on the task force. “We need you to enlist the aid of the (county) Board of Supervisors and our legislators to join us in rooting out this wrongdoing. The potential impacts may be horrendous to our community, to our future and to our local economy and our children, and that is why we must demand that these egregious violations be investigated by the grand jury.”
