In a courtroom outburst yesterday, District Attorney Pamela Price and Judge Kimberly Lowell expressed frustration with Radius Recycling Inc. and its executives for repeated postponements in their criminal hearing. The Alameda County company and two management team members face criminal prosecution due to a massive fire in August 2023 at a West Oakland facility.
Judge Lowell's admonition came after Radius obtained its third extension for an arraignment date, an act that has delayed the prosecution's case, as the Alameda County District Attorney's Office reported. In court, Lowell declared that no further extensions would be granted. In support of the court's stand, DA Price highlighted, "This fire posed a great health hazard to the people of Alameda County." Public data from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District indicated harmful levels of PM2.5 spread across multiple communities during and after the blaze.
The charges against Radius Recycling have mounted since a grand jury indictment delivered in June 2024. Accusations include emission of dangerous air contaminants and improper disposal of hazardous waste. A history of code violations and previous fires at the facility over five years signifies a pattern of negligence, per the Hoodline report from DA Price. "This was the third major fire at Radius's West Oakland metal shredding facility in five years," Price said, indicating a troublesome history with the management practices of the facility.
Radius Recycling and the executives Daniel Woltmann and Dane Morales, face not only severe legal consequences but could also see fines exceeding $33 million collectively. Woltmann could accrue over $31 million in fines, Morales over $1 million, and potential jail sentences of up to three years each. The intent behind these legal pursuits, as DA Price pointed out, is accountability, especially when public health and the environment are at risk—echoing a stand against environmental racism, "For far too long, polluting industries like Radius have shrugged off regulations when it was convenient to them," according to Hoodline.
The case is scheduled to proceed with the arraignment on December 9, suggesting a move forward in the DA's effort to resolve the issue and bring justice to the residents affected by the fire's repercussions.
