A Los Angeles County judge has ordered the owner of a troubled metal recycling facility to pay a $2 million fine and permanently shut down its operations next to Watts High School, ending decades of fear over industrial pollution and dangerous accidents.
S&W Atlas Iron & Metal has been processing scrap metal in Watts since 1949, shredding and packaging aluminum cans, steel rims and copper wire. Meanwhile, students and staff at Jordan High School complained that the facility’s operations blanketed the campus with toxic dust, occasionally rained debris into outdoor areas, and that explosions disrupted classes.
Atlas and its owners Gary and Matthew Weisenberg were indicted two years ago on numerous criminal charges related to illegal dumping and hazardous waste disposal in July 2020 and August 2022. Just over a year later, a compressed gas cylinder caught fire in a scrapyard, causing a violent explosion on the first day of school. The District Attorney’s Office subsequently filed additional charges against the defendants.
The company and the Weisenbergs ultimately pleaded no contest to some of the charges.
In an Oct. 21 ruling, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Terry Bork ordered the company to permanently close the scrapyard and sign a land covenant prohibiting future recycling on the site. The owner was also placed on two years’ probation and required to complete 200 hours of community service.
Mr. Bork also ordered Atlas to pay $2 million in fines and fines, including $1 million in restitution to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Additionally, Atlas would be required to give the school district and the City of Los Angeles the first opportunity to purchase the property if it decides to sell.
“This verdict brings long-awaited justice to a community that has lived in the shadow of this dangerous facility for generations,” Los Angeles Township said in a statement. Atty. Nathan Hockman said in a statement. “For too long, the children of Jordan High School and the Watts family have been put at risk by companies that put profit over safety. My office will continue to hold accountable any business that puts our children and communities at risk.”
When asked by The Times about their plans for the property, the owners declined to provide further details.
“We have lived in Los Angeles and worked in Watts for generations, and we care deeply about our community and its future,” Matthew Weisenberg said in a statement. “We are proud of the contributions Atlas Iron & Metal has made over the years and the relationships we have built with our employees and customers. As this chapter closes, we are focused on moving forward as a family.”
The verdict brings to an end a long history of dangerous accidents and close calls in and around schoolyards.
In 2002, in perhaps one of the most infamous episodes, as the recycling center was dismantling a Navy artillery shell that was supposed to be inert, the shell exploded and a hunk of metal flew onto the Jordan High School campus. There were no injuries at the school, but one person who was visiting the Atlas schoolyard suffered minor injuries.
LA Unified Schools officials asked the court to issue a “strong and appropriate” ruling that would prevent future environmental hazards.
“For decades, the students and educators at Jordan High School have lived with the consequences of Atlas’ reckless disregard for safety,” a Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson said in a statement. Accountability is essential to prevent further harm to this community. ”
Earlier this week, Supt. Alberto Carbajo expressed a similar opinion.
“For too long, Watts students and educators have carried the burden of others’ faults, but they have met every challenge with strength, grace and unity,” Carvalho said in a statement on social media. “Schools must always be sanctuaries, free from environmental damage. Environmental justice is educational justice, and Los Angeles Unified remains unwavering in its commitment to a safer and healthier future for all students.”
As an additional requirement of the ruling, Atlas must conduct an environmental cleanup of the site in accordance with the requirements of the Toxic Substances Control Board. School district officials say they expect the site to contain high levels of lead, which could cause permanent cognitive impairment in children.
Timothy Watkins, chairman of the Watts Workers Community Action Committee, had mixed emotions after hearing the court’s decision. But he said he’s glad Atlas is finally closing its doors. But he worries that the devastating effects of lead from Atlas may have caused irreparable and lasting harm to generations of children.
“Atlas Metals has created a wound in our community, and every day we remain contaminated, we put salt in that wound,” Watkins said. “Who said they would clean up to the extent necessary? Even if they did, they would still be profiting from the exploitation of our community.”
The neighborhood has become much quieter over the past few months. The scrapyard ceased operations in May. Atlas officials dismantled a temporary wall in a shipping container between the scrapyard and the school to prevent sharp metal chips and other debris from flying onto the school grounds.
Watkins said the community will continue to be involved until the environmental risk is eliminated.
“It’s not over yet,” he said. “By no means are we done.”
