West Oakland residents, who live near a major highway, the port, and industrial facilities, have some of the highest rates of asthma<\/a> and other respiratory diseases in the region.<\/p>\n State Assemblymember Mia Bonta, who represents West Oakland and the surrounding areas, decried the district attorney\u2019s decision to drop the case against the company.<\/p>\n \u201cSerial polluters shouldn\u2019t be allowed to fill our lungs with hazardous waste, including lead, and get away with it with nothing more than a slap on the wrist,\u201d Bonta said.<\/p>\n She noted that the company \u2014 which is located within a mile of 18 day care centers, 10 parks, eight schools and two hospitals \u2014 has been hit with 13 notices of violation from local air regulators since 2018.<\/p>\n \u201cThe repeated fires from this facility threaten the well-being of the entire Bay Area, particularly the surrounding community in Oakland,\u201d Bonta said.<\/p>\n Past investigations by the Alameda County district attorney\u2019s office and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control found that the facility released particulate matter contaminated with hazardous metals such as lead, cadmium and zinc. The investigations were cited in a 2021 settlement between Schnitzer and the state Department of Justice over \u201cthe release of toxic air contaminants and hazardous particulates\u201d in West Oakland and across the Oakland Estuary.<\/p>\n \u201cThe DA\u2019s office had a long history of negotiating settlements with Schnitzer and then not enforcing the settlements,\u201d Price said, noting that Radius was shocked when her office set out to hold the company accountable.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/02\/250218-AlCoDASwornIn-07.jpg\")
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