News Release

T – 11 – 18
Barbara A. Lee, Director

Contact: Gamaliel Ortiz
(916) 327-4383
Gamaliel.Ortiz@dtsc.ca.gov

Enforcement Action Against Fontana Metal Recycler Results in $170K Settlement

DTSC Complaint Outlines Violations of Hazardous Waste Laws

SACRAMENTO – The Los Angeles County Superior Court entered a stipulated judgment resolving the Department of Toxic Substances Control’s (DTSC) investigation and 2017 complaint alleging Advanced Steel Recovery Inc. (ASR) violated California’s hazardous waste laws.

Under the terms of the court-approved settlement, signed by a judge on Thursday, ASR will pay $170,000. 

In its investigation, DTSC concluded that ASR, a metal recycler located in Fontana (San Bernardino County), generated multiple piles of contaminated soil that exceeded regulatory hazardous waste limits for various heavy metals, including lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and zinc. Because the soil was uncontained throughout ASR’s facility, wind or rain could have caused the contaminated soil to migrate offsite.

ASR’s business is to recover steel from consumer goods and other products. ASR allegedly mishandled items it received that contain hazardous waste, including clothes dryers, refrigerators, and compressed cylinders and other items that require special handling. By allegedly mishandling these items, ASR may have released hazardous materials into the environment. Some of the items, for example, were left in scrap piles where they were susceptible to crushing. DTSC determined that some compressed gas cylinders on ASR’s property had been stored there for more than a year, while others were transported to an unauthorized facility.

These actions violated the state’s Hazardous Waste Control Law and risked harm to human health and the environment.

In addition to the monetary payment, the stipulated judgment requires ASR to comply with applicable state laws in the future or face further civil penalties. As specified in the judgment, these requirements focus on, among other things, the proper handling of soil, compressed gas cylinders and major appliances, providing proper training to employees, and properly managing universal waste.

The civil complaint was filed on the behalf of DTSC by the California Attorney General’s Office.

Read the final judgment on our Site Project Documents page.

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FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES: Contact the Department of Toxic Substances Control by phone at (800) 728-6942 or visit www.dtsc.ca.gov. To report illegal handling, discharge, or disposal of hazardous waste, call the Waste Alert Hotline at (800) 698-6942.