[CPEO-BIF] California Attorney General joins Atlas Metal lawsuit, South Los Angeles

[Lenny Siegel <LSiegel@cpeo.org>]

Attorney General Bonta Files Motion to Intervene in Lawsuit to Protect Environmental Justice Communities in South Los Angeles 
	
Press Release
Office of California Attorney General Bonta 
May 28, 2021

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a motion to intervene in the Los Angeles City Attorney’s lawsuit against S&W Atlas Iron & Metal Company (Atlas Metal) for endangering the health and safety of environmental justice communities in South Los Angeles. Over several years, Atlas Metal’s operations are alleged to have been launching metal shards and projectiles into outdoor areas at Jordan High School. In that same time period, operations at the facility are also alleged to have resulted in incidents of noxious plumes of smoke, dust, and fumes being released into the surrounding community. Loud noise from the Atlas Metal site also negatively impacts the neighborhood and impedes the learning environments of Jordan High School. In today’s filings, Attorney General Bonta argues that Atlas Metal violated California’s public nuisance law, Health and Safety Code section 41700, and the Unfair Competition Law.

“Atlas Metal operates its facility in one of the most historically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the state — an area that is already overburdened by environmental pollution and suffering the resulting health consequences," said Attorney General Bonta. "It is utterly unacceptable that students from this neighborhood will have to endure metal projectiles, noxious smoke and dust, and distracting noise when they show up each day to learn. I want to thank City Attorney Mike Feuer for bringing this important case. It's going to take all of us working together to hold polluters accountable and protect communities that live at the intersection of poverty and pollution.” 

“I welcome Attorney General Bonta joining our fight to stop the dangerous conditions at Atlas Metal, which pose a risk to high schoolers and school personnel just feet away,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. “This teamwork underscores that the fight for environmental justice requires all hands on deck. We're committed to ensuring that every family, every student, every worker, and every neighborhood has the safe and healthy conditions they deserve."

…

For the entire release, see
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-files-motion-intervene-lawsuit-protect-environmental

—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)

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