Hazardous Waste Clean-Up and the Future of California’s Economy

Hazardous Waste Clean-Up and the Future of California’s Economy

Hundreds of hazardous waste sites, if cleaned, could revitalize California’s economy

As you may already know, there is a growing hazardous waste problem in California. Over 139 sites in the state are currently awaiting cleanup, each contaminated with . What’s more, California’s slow permitting process for hazardous waste disposal often forces local businesses to ship contaminants to states with less stringent disposal regulations.

But what happens when California’s contaminated sites are cleaned up properly? And how can we ensure that more sites are cleaned in the future?

Emeryville, California: A Clean-up Success Story

In addition to health and environmental protection, economic development is one of the most significant benefits of contaminated site clean-up. Perhaps the most striking example in California is the city of Emeryville. A once polluted community, Emeryville is now home to IKEA, Novartis, Pixar, and thousands of jobs thanks to decontamination efforts from the DTSC during the 1980’s and 90’s. This has led to:

• The value of Emeryville’s taxable property base increasing from $870 million in the early 1990s to $4.1 billion in 2010.
• Annual city taxes doubling from $2.9 million in 1991 to $5.7 million in 2010.
• Annual visitor taxes from hotel stays rising 25 percent from $2.5 million in 2002 to $3.3 million in 2010.

 
Could Yuba be the Next Emeryville?

Emeryville proves that there is incredible potential for California cities stifled by pollution. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough success stories like Emeryville. Many contaminated sites in California remain polluted with hazardous material, hindering economic development and leaving acres of wasted, undeveloped land.

One site that could follow in Emeryville’s footsteps, however, is the proposed location for the Yuba River Charter School near Grass Valley, CA. The school recently received a grant from the EPA to clean up 300 cubic yards (or 600,000 pounds) of toxic soil at the site of its future campus. When lead, arsenic, and other hazardous wastes are removed, it will host the brand-new school and could potentially revitalize the surrounding community which has struggled with contamination for decades.

In order to accommodate hazardous material from places like the Yuba School (and address the needs of numerous other contaminated California sites), there must be in-state facilities that are able to properly process and dispose of this waste. Yuba’s official Removal Action Workplan, for example, says that it will send the 300 tons of contaminated soil to the Chemical Waste Management facility in Kettleman City, CA.

However, observers should wonder if this cleanup plan is possible. The facility at Kettleman is one of only three landfills that can process hazardous waste in California, and is currently operating at minimal capacity. If the waste cannot be shipped to Kettleman, chances are that it will either be shipped out of state, or it will not be cleaned up at all.

Improving the Permitting Process in California

In order for California to realize the significant economic potential that could come from cleaning hazardous waste sites, the state government must provide permits to groups that can properly handle the disposal of those wastes. Though the DTSC recently granted Chemical Waste Management a “draft permit” to expand their hazardous waste facility at Kettleman, it isn’t nearly enough space to handle the vast amount of polluted in-state sites. While we commend the DTSC for granting a draft permit for expansion, there is much more work to be done to improve the California permitting process for hazardous waste disposal.

KEY FACTS

1. There are 139 contaminated sites in California awaiting clean-up.
2. There are only three hazardous waste disposal sites in California.
3. Contaminated site clean-up can yield incredible economic benefits for cities across California. One key example is Emeryville. A once polluted community, the city has seen incredible economic growth and the creation of thousands of new jobs thanks to decontamination efforts during the 1980’s and 90’s.
4. The Yuba River Charter school, which is just one example of a site awaiting cleanup, recently received an EPA grant to clean-up 300 cubic yards of toxic soil at the site of its future campus.
5. The Yuba School would ship waste to Chemical Waste Management in Kettleman City, CA, which is currently awaiting full expansion permits from the DTSC.

RESOURCES

California sites awaiting environmental clean-up.

INFOGRAPHIC