State oversight board allows LA chemical plant to operate amid permit concerns

An electronic waste processing facility in Los Angeles County has been operating under a permit that expired in 1996, according to reports from mv-voice.com, pleasantonweekly.com, and almanacnews.com, originally published by CalMatters. Neighbors living as close as 550 feet from the plant have expressed concerns about its impact on the community.

On Thursday, a state oversight board criticized the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for its handling of the permit renewal but stopped short of revoking the permit. This marked the first time in the board's five-year history that residents requested the revocation of a facility's permit.

The Board of Environmental Safety granted separate appeals from both community members and the company operating the facility, Phibro-Tech. However, the board voted to allow the plant to continue operations while state regulators reassess the permit, which was renewed for the first time last year in the facility's history.

Environmental advocates view this case as a test of the board's commitment to prioritizing community health, especially in areas heavily affected by pollution. The board was created in 2022 to address previous oversight issues by the DTSC. Despite the board's mandate to protect public health, there is disagreement between the board and the community regarding the extent of the board's authority.

The DTSC recorded 29 violations at Phibro-Tech between 2013 and 2022, including failures to clean up leaks and treating waste not authorized by its permit. While officials say the facility has improved, the state continues to pursue legal action over alleged hazardous waste law violations. Phibro-Tech argues that it has been inspected more frequently and cited disproportionately compared to other facilities.

The community group Neighbors Against Phibro-Tech, represented by Earthjustice, contends that the permit renewal process overlooked the facility's violation history, lacked a complete public record, and relied on incomplete health and compliance data.