News Release

T – 6 – 21
Meredith Williams, Director

Contact: Gamaliel Ortiz
(916) 869-5422
Gamaliel.Ortiz@dtsc.ca.gov

California Orders S&W Atlas Iron & Metal to Stop Releasing Hazardous Waste into South Los Angeles’ Watts Neighborhood

SACRAMENTO – The California department charged with safeguarding Californians from the harmful effects of chemicals today ordered the S&W Atlas Iron & Metal recycling company (Atlas) to immediately stop releasing dangerous pollution that may be contaminating the Watts neighborhood of South Los Angeles. 

The Department of Toxic Substances Control’s action today comes after the department served the company three notices of violations of state hazardous waste law. The department recently ordered Atlas to clean up hazardous waste on the metal recycler’s site, including metal piles and dumpsters filled with dirt, debris, refrigeration compressors and leaking motor oil containers. State investigators collected evidence showing the waste might be responsible for the high levels of contamination found on the ground and in the soil around the facility.

Today’s order requires the company to modify operations in a manner that prevents releases of hazardous waste constituents, such as toxic metals, from entering the environment and surrounding community.

Ten- to 12-foot walls separate the Atlas facility grounds from the Jordan High School campus and the Jordon Downs public housing project, a 700-unit community currently undergoing a $1 billion renovation and expansion. Several public elementary, middle and high schools are located within blocks of the Atlas site.

State investigators documented evidence of serious violations of California hazardous waste law after receiving complaints from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) about piles of hazardous waste left on the facility’s site and other hazardous contamination being emitted from the facility onto the Jordan High campus. DTSC confirmed that the hazardous waste the state collected included dangerous levels of chromium, copper, lead, nickel, cadmium and zinc, which can lead to health complications including developmental issues in children. In another alarming example of threats from the facility’s operations, LAUSD has reported metal objects from the facility landing on the school campus.

The order DTSC issued today on Atlas serves as a warning to any company doing business in California that the department will take firm action to stop any mishandling of toxic waste that threatens the health of the state’s people and environment. 

“Our highest priority is to protect California’s most vulnerable populations, including children, from irresponsible companies that take shortcuts that risk the health and safety of nearby communities,” said DTSC Director Meredith Williams. “Our enforcement power is an indispensable tool in our mission to protect all Californians – particularly in communities of color, such as Watts, where too many residents are already overly burdened by and vulnerable to dangerous pollution.”

The Watts neighborhood is identified as disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution, according to CalEnviroScreen, the state’s health screening tool that uses census data for scientific evaluations.

The order DTSC issued to Atlas today stems from the department’s Enhanced Enforcement in Vulnerable Communities Initiative and follows documented violations of California hazardous waste law at most metal recycling facilities DTSC had recently investigated.

DTSC’s order requires Atlas to:

• Clean up contamination released by the facility
• Modify the facility as needed to prevent releases
• Submit a plan to control immediate threats from its business practices
• Submit a public involvement strategy that keeps the Watts community updated with the latest information on the company’s protective measures

Information on managing hazardous waste at California metal recycling facilities, as well as information on DTSC’s environmental justice program, may be found on the department website.

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FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES: Contact the Department of Toxic Substances Control to report illegal handling, discharge, or disposal of hazardous waste or other environmental concerns at Calepa.my.salesforce-sites.com/complaints/Complaint.