California\u2019s Department of Toxic Substances Control has reached a $1.5 million settlement with Radius Recycling, the West Oakland scrap metal company it accused of environmental and fire-prevention violations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Formerly known as Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc., Radius has been repeatedly cited, fined, and sued<\/a> for violating environmental laws, including spewing toxic waste and emissions, such as zinc<\/a> and lead byproducts, and for causing illegal fires. Many of the Radius pollutants have been associated with worse health outcomes for surrounding communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n This week\u2019s settlement<\/a> with the state agency resolves 21 separate violations of the state\u2019s Hazardous Waste Control Law during fires in 2018, 2020, and 2023, as well as additional violations investigators found at its facilities dating back to 2022, according to a statement released by the DTSC.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMultiple fires and mismanagement of hazardous waste at this site is unacceptable,\u201d said DTSC director Katherine Butler. \u201cThe settlement holds Radius Recycling accountable and ensures that critical safeguards are put in place to prevent future fires and protect the community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The Radius facility is located on Embarcadero West, near daycare centers, public parks, hospitals, and senior residential facilities. Community organizations in West Oakland, particularly the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project, have been at the forefront of campaigns highlighting the dangers posed by scrap metal fires. The group surveyed<\/a> the community in 2023 to learn how people were affected by the fires.\u00a0<\/p>\n Clara Weinstein, the project\u2019s communications officer, told The Oaklandside that WOEIP is glad the state took action against the plant because it put people at risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re continuing to work with our state regulators and with senior leadership at Radius Recycling to help Radius be a better neighbor,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Weinstein said that the organization was also trying to prevent the passing of Senate Bill 811<\/a>, sponsored by Senator Anna Caballero, which would, she said, exempt scrap metal companies from hazardous waste control laws and make enforcement more difficult.\u00a0<\/p>\n Radius Recycling said in a statement to The Oaklandside today that the company has \u201can unwavering commitment to operate safely, responsibly, and in full compliance with all environmental regulations\u201d and that it remains \u201ccommitted to carrying out this work responsibly while protecting the health and safety of our employees, neighbors, and community.\u201d<\/p>\n The company told The Oaklandside in October 2024 that it has been working over the years<\/a> to improve its environmental operations, including purchasing $50 million in new equipment.\u00a0<\/p>\n The DTSC said that the settlement does not cover any violations that may have occurred surrounding the company\u2019s most recent fire<\/a>, which broke out in March, which the department is still investigating.\u00a0<\/p>\n The specific violations described in the settlement include failure to use a registered hazardous waste transporter, failure to obtain authorization to treat hazardous waste, the improper storage of hazardous waste, and failure to \u201cproperly notify the California Office of Emergency Services following a fire.\u201d<\/p>\n The court order<\/a> for the settlement agreement, submitted in state court on June 9, lays out the 16 specific provisions Radius must abide by, including limits on the amount of scrap that can be shredded at one time. The settlement will also require Radius to install systems at its plant to prevent future fires, including infrared cameras to detect hot spots in piles of scrap and a system to more quickly alert the community if another fire happens.\u00a0<\/p>\n The settlement<\/a> payments will be divided into parts. Local environmental projects will receive $510,000, including $200,000 for the Urban Compassion Project in West Oakland to clean up illegal dumping sites and $100,000 for the California Product Stewardship Council for needle and medication disposal. Another $510,000 will take the form of a civil penalty, and $480,000 will cover the state agency\u2019s investigation costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is only the latest settlement the company has entered into this decade. In 2021, then-California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced a settlement<\/a> in which Radius paid a $4.1 million fine for the \u201crelease of toxic air contaminants and hazardous particulates.\u201d In July 2025, the Alameda County District Attorney, Ursula Jones Dickson, and the Bay Area Air District sued Radius Recycling<\/a> over violations related to one of the 2023 fires, a suit that is still pending. That suit, according to a statement by Bay Area Air Quality Management District<\/a>, seeks \u201cmonetary penalties and an injunction prohibiting Radius from storing scrap metal in locations that do not have adequate watering systems and heat-detection cameras.\u201d<\/p>\n