The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Thursday filed a joint civil lawsuit against Radius Recycling — formerly Schnitzer Steel — for air quality violations stemming from a fire that engulfed the company’s West Oakland facility in 2023.
The lawsuit alleges negligence on Radius’ part for the Aug. 9, 2023, blaze, which intensified environmental advocates’ outrage against the company that has a history of environmental violations.
Last month, Radius reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce pollution from operations at the same West Oakland facility. After elevated levels of zinc, copper and other pollutants were detected in the facility’s wastewater discharge, Radius agreed to install a carbon treatment unit to reduce toxicity.
But District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson and air quality officials are seeking monetary penalties for the 2023 fire’s effects, arguing the impact on air quality was significant.
Philip Fine, the Air District’s executive officer, said the company “endangered the health and well-being of the West Oakland community,” adding that the area is already one “burdened by decades of air pollution.”
The county and the Air District allege that the company stored an influx of scrap beyond a safe capacity and failed to monitor the rising temperatures in the material, which substantially contributed to the fire.
In addition to monetary penalties, the suit seeks an injunction prohibiting Radius from storing scrap material at any location not equipped with heat-monitoring cameras or adequate watering systems.
Jones Dickson said a main goal of the civil suit is to ensure “further protections to prevent future toxic air contaminants from impacting West Oakland.”
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