News Release

T – 12 – 21
Meredith Williams, Director

Contact: Sanford (Sandy) Nax
(916) 416-4309
Sanford.Nax@dtsc.ca.gov

State Orders Central Valley Metal Recycler to Investigate, Clean Up Pollution on Site and In Neighborhood

SACRAMENTO – Regulators from California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) want to know if toxic releases from a closed Hanford metal recycling facility threaten nearby agricultural land and irrigation canals. The shuttered facility had a history of hazardous waste violations.

State investigators found large piles of hazardous waste – up to 20 feet high and hundreds of feet in circumference – at The Recycle Depot in Hanford when it was still open for business. The Recycle Depot operated from 2003 to 2017 at 10716 8th Avenue, recycling discarded appliances, automobiles, and scrap metal. DTSC in 2013 issued a Summary of Violations on The Recycle Depot and authorities in Kings and Tulare counties cited the then-owner for misdemeanor violations.

The State is now ordering the current landowners, as well as the former business owners, to determine the extent of the soil contamination and clean it up.

The 20-acre site is in an area that already suffers from high amounts of pollution, according to CalEnviroscreen, an online tool that identifies vulnerable communities.

Under the corrective action order, the parties named must meet certain deadlines and submit required investigation reports to DTSC, including a plan for cleaning up contamination. DTSC will notify the surrounding community so residents can weigh in on the proposed cleanup plan.

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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.