A metal recovery and recycling company adjacent to Jordan High School in Watts faces 24 criminal charges for alleged illegal disposal of hazardous wastethe Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.
S&W Atlas Iron and Metal Corp. and its owners, Gary and Matthew Weisenberg, were charged with 21 felony counts of knowingly disposing of hazardous waste at a site without a permit and one felony count of depositing hazardous waste, prosecutors said.
They were also charged with a single misdemeanor disorderly conduct and failure to maintain or operate a facility to minimize the possibility of a fire.
The defendants’ arraignment was set for Monday in downtown Los Angeles.
Benjamin Gluck, an attorney for Atlas and the Weisenbergs, said in a statement that they were “disappointed to see the charges.”
“Atlas is actively working with many public agencies involved and is actually getting closer to a global resolution,” Gluck said. “The district attorney refused to commit to us and opted to press charges. We do not yet know the details of those charges, but we will vigorously defend this case.”
The charges are the latest legal tangle for the company, which was sued in 2020 by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The federal lawsuit alleges that hazardous substances, waste and fumes from the junkyard were endangering students and faculty at Jordan High School.
The lawsuit even claimed that a pair of explosions in 2002 sent shrapnel raining down on campus.
The battle for the closure of this metal recycling plant was started by the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2020 when it tried to cease operations with a lawsuit, however, to date the business continues to operate.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, soil samples taken at the high school adjacent to the Atlas facility “showed excessive concentrations of lead and zinc,” while samples taken at Atlas found excessive concentrations of seven metals.
Prosecutors also claim that metal debris believed to have originated from the Atlas facility was found on the school grounds.
“The indictment against Atlas Metal for its environmental crimes is a step toward justice for the children of Jordan High School and the Watts community,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement.
“Children deserve a safe and healthy environment to learn and grow, and we must hold companies accountable for their actions that put our children’s health at risk. This serves as a reminder that we must prioritize the well-being of our communities and take action against those who prioritize profit over people.”
LAUSD accuses the plant of endangering Jordan High School students and staff with contaminants and sharp metal debris.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the filing of charges is an important step in efforts to address the “dangerous environmental impacts on the health and safety of our schools that result from incompatible land uses.”
He said such concerns are exacerbated “in underserved communities that often face adverse industrial impacts causing air, water and land pollution.”
