Opinion: Masquerading as green, state bill would unleash toxins into poor neighborhoods

"Less than a dozen blocks away from my home and within a mile of downtown Oakland, a multi-ton pile of scrap metal threatens to spontaneously combust under the hot sun. Old cars and appliances, batteries, and gasoline vapors release cadmium, lead and zinc into the air and soil, the heavy metals and toxic particulates making their way towards dozens of schools, health care centers and my neighbors' homes. This is Radius Recycling's metal shredding facility, one of nine in the state."

"Proponents are spinning Senate Bill 404 as green, but a closer look reveals a cynical plot by industry insiders to move regulation and enforcement from our public agencies to the very facilities doing the polluting essentially putting the fox in charge of the henhouse. At Radius' West Oakland facility, the company has racked up dozens of violations, at least two major fires, and over $8 million in fines and settlements in the past five years alone."

Radius Recycling's West Oakland metal shredding facility stores multi-ton piles of scrap metal that can spontaneously combust and emit heavy metals and toxic particulates such as cadmium, lead and zinc. These emissions travel toward nearby schools, health centers, and residences, aggravating respiratory illnesses like COPD and asthma. The facility has accumulated dozens of violations, at least two major fires, and over $8 million in fines and settlements in five years. Senate Bill 404, drafted by the metal shredding industry, would shift regulation and enforcement to the facilities themselves, reducing oversight and risking increased toxic pollution across West Oakland and California.

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