News Release

T – 12 – 22
Meredith Williams, Director

Contact: Allison Wescott
(916) 963-6246
Allison.Wescott@dtsc.ca.gov

Draft Permit Increases Oversight of Waste Recycler Phibro-Tech

SACRAMENTO – The State Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is imposing stricter controls on materials recycler Phibro-Tech through a draft permit that requires operating restrictions to better protect the public. Under the proposed permit, the facility must hold community meetings to report results of its ongoing monitoring and inspections. The permit will not be made final until the public has an opportunity to weigh in on its provisions.

Phibro-Tech’s nearly five-acre facility in Santa Fe Springs receives various hazardous liquid wastes and recyclable materials mostly from the electronic and aerospace industries, and treats these substances to create usable, new products.

Conditions of Phibro-Tech’s draft permit include requirements for additional units, equipment, and processes that had not been in the previous permit or operation plan, as well as clearer specifications for which wastes are allowed to be accepted and treated. Phibro-Tech will also be required to closely monitor their fence line for air emissions, increase inspections of on-site storage tanks, and report those results at annual community meetings.

“The community was clear that they wanted significant changes at Phibro-Tech, and this proposed permit does that,” said DTSC Director Dr. Meredith Williams. “DTSC is imposing more than 100 conditions on its operations – all of them designed to make Phibro-Tech operate more safely and in a way that protects nearby communities.”

In advance of the draft decision, DTSC required the facility to conduct measurable health risk assessments from past releases and current operations, and complete removal and cleanup of hazardous contaminants underneath the facility that could have resulted in exposure. Phibro-Tech was also required to close a pond that was in violation and maintain it over the long term.

DTSC is proposing the issuance of a five-year permit so that Phibro-Tech’s compliance history can be evaluated sooner than the typical 10-year milestone.  The proposed permit is stronger and more enforceable than the one it would replace issued in 1991.

Under federal and state law, facilities with expired permits are allowed to continue operations. DTSC has made it a priority to issue updated permits to every facility that currently operates under old permit conditions. Last fiscal year, DTSC issued new permits for four facilities operating under permits older than five years. Eight remain, including Phibro-Tech, and DTSC expects to issue draft decisions on those before the end of this fiscal year.

Phibro-Tech’s more restrictive draft permit aligns with DTSC’s commitment to streamline, speed up, and bolster its permits. DTSC is issuing permits that are more comprehensive and protective of public health and the environment. They provide greater clarity about what is expected of a permittee, are more enforceable, and point to modern best practices for controlling releases and managing hazardous waste.

“We are increasing quality as we decrease the time it takes to process a permit decision,” said Wayne Lorentzen, DTSC’s Permitting Division chief. “We are protecting Californians by conducting more comprehensive application reviews, identifying potential compliance weaknesses, and changing the way facilities operate, as many are in communities impacted by significant and disproportionate levels of pollution and other impacts.”

DTSC regulates approximately 100 facilities in California with hazardous waste facility permits and many other facilities with other forms of authorization.

A formal public comment period on Phibro-Tech’s draft permit is being held from August 19, 2022 to October 18, 2022. Comments can be submitted by mail or e-mail to:
Rao Akula, P.E. – DTSC Project Manager
9211 Oakdale Avenue
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Rao.Akula@dtsc.ca.gov

A public meeting/hearing is scheduled to take place on September 28, 2022.

More information on Phibro-Tech’s past and current operations can be found on Envirostor at this link.

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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 using the CalEPA Environmental Complaint System.