News Release

T – 08 – 22
Meredith Williams, Director

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

State Orders Sims Metal to Determine if Richmond Facility is Polluting Neighborhood, Waterways

SACRAMENTO – After finding elevated levels of hazardous chemicals on site, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is ordering Sims Metal Management in Richmond to determine if the contamination is spreading beyond the site.

The facility at 600 S. 4th St. receives scrap metal such as old cars and appliances, which are cut, sorted and stockpiled. The process produces light fibrous material, which can be dispersed offsite if it is not properly managed.

DTSC found unacceptable hazardous waste levels of lead and zinc in the soil at the facility, including a sample from soil and ash collected after a 20-foot pile of scrap appliances caught fire in 2018. That sample had a lead concentration of 3,260 mg/kg – well above the hazardous waste threshold of 1,000 mg/kg.

DTSC is concerned that the material could contaminate residential and commercial properties as well as nearby water bodies such as San Francisco Bay. The facility is in an area that already suffers from high amounts of pollution, according to CalEnviroScreen, a tool used to help identify California communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution.

The order comes about two months after DTSC issued an enforcement order against another Sims metal operation in Redwood City.

“DTSC has been focusing on metal recycling operations because of the risk they pose to communities, especially those that already are environmentally burdened. We have a responsibility to protect people, their communities and the environment from companies and industries that pollute, especially when they are close to residents and important natural resources,” said DTSC Director Meredith Williams.  

DTSC filed the enforcement order after the company refused to voluntarily test and clean up the contaminated soil as the department requested.

This is the latest in a string of enforcement actions DTSC has taken against metal recyclers, many of them in vulnerable communities that historically have suffered from multiple sources of pollution.

Under the enforcement order, the named parties 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.