Hazardous toxic waste in California
Phibro-Tech sits on a 4.8 acre triangle of land just inside the border of Santa Fe Springs.
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Toxic trash: California’s aging hazardous waste sites have troubling safety records
California produces millions of tons of hazardous waste every year – toxic detritus that can leach into groundwater or blow into the air. It’s waste that can explode, spark fires,...
Out of state, out of mind part 3
“The environmental consultant hired by State Parks selected the La Paz facility as it was the most economical, at roughly half the cost, and most reliable choice, while also meeting...
Out of state out of mind part 2
Some waste industry experts contend there’s little risk to people or the environment from the contaminated dirt. They say California regulations are too strict – labeling some waste as hazardous...
Out of state, out of mind
A CalMatters investigation finds that environmentally stringent California sends nearly half its toxic waste across its borders, often to states with weaker rules. One of the biggest out-of-state dumpers: the...
California keeps sending toxic soil to out-of-state landfills — Newsom and legislators are slow to change course
California sends toxic soil to landfills in Utah and Arizona, including sites near Native American reservations. Will lawmakers step in to keep the waste in state?
Spending spree: Oversight scarce as billions in COVID aid poured into California schools
A CalMatters investigation found that schools had wildly different approaches to stimulus spending -- from laptops to shade structures to an ice cream truck. No centralized database exists to show...
Secrecy shrouds pandemic spending at some California schools
California schools received more than $33 billion in COVID stimulus money. Some districts won't say how they've spent it.
Fired: California bill aims to decertify police for serious misconduct
California is one of only four states without the power to permanently remove law enforcement officers from their jobs.
Outgunned: Why California’s groundbreaking firearms law is failing
California enacted a law to remove guns from people deemed too dangerous to be armed. But the measure, plagued by problems, has not achieved its promise.
