The Alameda County District Attorney's Office announced a sweeping indictment against Radius Recycling, Inc., formerly known as Schnitzer Steel, and two of their management team, Daniel Woltmann and Dane Morales, for their involvement in the Oakland fire that raged in August of last year. The grand jury, convening on June 28, delivered ten counts against the company and individuals for alleged health and safety code violations. Among the accusations are the reckless emission of dangerous air contaminants and the improper handling and disposal of hazardous waste.
According to Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, these violations are not a new pattern of behavior but also contributed to the ignition of the intense fire that engulfed the Radius metal-shedding facility over a year ago. Price's office alleges that the company acted negligently during the fire, accumulating scrap metal containing hazardous materials despite equipment failures and unsafe storage practices. Price said, "This was the third major fire at Radius's West Oakland metal shredding facility in five years", as per the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.
Radius Recycling and its top managers face severe legal and financial repercussions if found guilty of these charges. The DA's office is promoting fines that could exceed $33 million for Radius/Schnitzer, with individual fines for Woltmann reaching over $31 million and Morales facing over $1 million. Meanwhile, the maximum sentence for the felony charges against Woltmann and Morales could result in up to three years in the County Jail apiece.
DA Pamela Price emphasized her commitment to holding such corporate entities accountable, particularly when their actions endanger public health and the environment, invoking a narrative of battling environmental racism, "For far too long, polluting industries like Radius have shrugged off regulations when it was convenient to them", Price said, as per the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. Deputy District Attorney Gabriel Markoff of the reformed Consumer, Environmental Protection, and Special Prosecution Unit heads the investigation, calling for community members affected by the fire to share their experiences with the DA's office.
