The site is one of the most contaminated in the city, and a lead recycling smelter operated from 1922 to 2014 (92 years) when Exide ceased operations due to air quality rules. In January 2015, DTSC determined that the liner system under the containment building where Exide stored crushed battery feed material had failed, and they ordered Exide to investigate the extent of contamination. Exide was granted bankruptcy protection in October 2020, and environmental work is now funded by the State of California. Catalyst evaluated the EIR, human health risk assessment and associated cleanup proposals, with a focus on lead contamination, and provided science- and fact-based comments on the human health risk assessment and associated cleanup plans. The area has significant environmental justice concerns, and Catalyst was retained to ensure that the needs of the community are adequately addressed by the cleanup activity. Our review was the factual basis for requiring DTSC to explicitly evaluate environmental justice concerns, and to select cleanup objectives consistent with the EIR and the needs of the community.
