SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The office of the Los Angeles County District Attorney has charged a metal recycling plant operating near a Watts high school campus with alleged illegal disposal of hazardous waste and chemicals. S&W Atlas Iron & Metal Co. has been charged with 24 criminal counts, as per announcement made by George Gascon, District Attorney.
According to him, over 500 students of Jordan High School in Watts are exposed to dust containing particles of lead, chromium, and other toxic materials, which are believed to be emanating from the scrap metal recycling plant.
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The facility along with its owners have been charged with 21 felony counts of knowingly disposing hazardous waste without proper permits and one felony count of deposit of hazardous waste, in addition to four misdemeanor counts.
Earlier in 2020, the Los Angeles Unified School District filed a lawsuit against Atlas. Last summer, the facility was served with a warrant by the L.A. County district attorney's office's Bureau of Investigation. The soil samples from school campus had showed excessive concentrations of lead and zinc, while the samples from the facility had revealed excessive concentrations of seven metals.
The company has not taken any action on reducing height of metal piles and building protective wall, as per agreement reached.
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