Clean Yards – Ground Truthing California

Tools to Test Substances in Your Backyard

EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory

EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory provides data to learn about toxic chemicals releases and pollution prevention activities that are reported by industrial and federal facilities. Every year industrial facilities report toxic release inventory and TRI makes it available to the public. A facility must report if it is in a specific industry sector, if it employs 10 or more full time employee, and if they use chemicals that are in the TRI chemical list.

EnviroStor

EnviroStor is the Department of Toxic Substances Control’s data management system that allows individuals to track the status of a facility, if it contains hazardous waste or contaminations. You can search for a specific site by using the facility search tool and tying the name of the location.

Importance of Clean Yards

Soil can become contaminated through local industrial activity, improper disposal of household waste, use of chemicals in agriculture, deforestation, and unintended leaks or spills. Not only does contaminated soil affect the ability to produce healthy foods, but it can also cause serious health risks. Polluted yards can affect an individual when they become in contact, inhale particles of the soil, or they consume soil.

History

Department of Toxic Substance Control

Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) enacts legislations and regulations to prevent the exposure of hazardous waste by establishing a line of communication with the public, the business sector, and local non-profits. DTSC oversees cleanup of hazardous wastes, it determines which companies are able to obtain permits to store, treat, or dispose hazardous waste, and it regulates commercial products.

Current Policies

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act was a bill that made the State responsible for the disposal and control of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste. Hazardous waste was defined as waste that creates a harmful effect on an individual’s health or an environment. EPA was granted the authority by Congress to supervise the management of hazardous material from the moment it was created until it is disposed. During the process, the waste has to be identified, it must meet the requirements to be stored or transported, and it must follow the requirement of disposal.

Toxic Substances Control Act

Toxic Substances Control Act passed in 1976 and gives EPA the authority to regulate the production, importation, use, and disposal of chemicals. By reporting, testing, and keeping record of substances, individuals can identify the risks if exposed.

Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act is a law and regulation that creates the framework for the management of hazardous material by following EPA standards. It also constructs a framework for solid waste control for non-hazardous material such as liquids and gases.

Agencies and Non-Profits

East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice

EYCEJ is a grassroots non-profit that seeks to transform their community members into politically engaged individuals fighting for environmental justice. One of their biggest movements was #NoMoPlomo, which shut down Exide Technologies, Inc, a lead-acid battery recycling factory. Exile was exceeding the limit of arsenic and lead emissions resulting in EYCEJ now utilizing funds to sample soil and clean up impacted communities.

Del Amo Action Committee

Del Amo Action Committee’s mission is to establish healthy and safe communities by cleaning up waste dumps and superfund sites, which are hazardous waste sites. One of the committee’s primary work site is the Del Amo Superfund located near Carson. The land in 1937 was undeveloped cropland and pasture and in 1946 was transformed into a synthetic rubber manufacturing plant resulting in chemicals and waste products being released into the soil.

The Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment

The Center on Race, Poverty, and the Environment aim to create healthy and sustainable communities through collective action and the law. One of their main work field is Toxics and the Environment, which intersects the environment and health issues by placing low income communities of color in the center. CRPE and their allies are mobilizing to reform the Department of Toxic Substances Control since they believe the agency has been unable to enforce waste laws and clean up contaminated waste sites.

Case Study: Laguna Nueva

“Laguna Nueva is one of twenty-eight schools operated by the Montebello Unified School District (District). The 14.7-acre property (Site) is located on the northeastern corner of the intersection of Gage and Garfield Avenues at 6360 South Garfield Avenue. The District plans to expand LNE into a larger school. The expansion will include the addition of 3 buildings for classrooms, an administrative building, a library, and a multi-purpose building. Future expansion will include the addition of an Adult Education building and a Head Start building for preschoolers. The expansion will incorporate the entire 14.7 acres. The expansion of LNE has been proposed in response to community needs and is specifically intended to relieve overcrowding at LNE and other District operated schools within the local area.

The District has completed environmental investigations on the Site with oversight from the DTSC. The investigation indicated that some contamination is present at 5 to 40 feet below ground surface in the northwestern corner of the Site. A Health Risk Assessment was conducted to evaluate whether contamination found at the Site poses a threat to students and staff. The results of the Health Risk Assessment indicated that, based on current conditions, the contamination at the Site does not pose a threat to students and staff.”