Environment
State orders new review of LA-area hazardous-waste permit
California’s Board of Environmental Safety found shortcomings in the review of a Santa Fe Springs facility’s renewed permit but did not order the operation shut down.
California’s Board of Environmental Safety has directed the Department of Toxic Substances Control to revisit portions of its permit review for Phibro-Tech, a hazardous-waste processing facility in Santa Fe Springs near the Los Nietos community in Los Angeles County.
Facility: Phibro-Tech, Santa Fe Springs
Board action: Permit-review appeals were granted in part
What happens now: Regulators must reassess the permit while the facility continues operating under its prior permit
Board finds review gaps
The board considered separate appeals from neighborhood advocates and the company during an October 21–22 hearing in Montebello. CalMatters reported that the board concluded state regulators had not adequately documented their review of the facility’s compliance history and the administrative record when renewing the permit in 2025.
The Board of Environmental Safety’s posted materials confirm that the appeals concerned the Department of Toxic Substances Control’s February 2025 permit renewal. The board is expected to finalize its written decision within 30 days, according to CalMatters.
Operations continue during reassessment
The decision does not halt the facility’s current operations. Its renewed permit remains paused during the appeal process, while Phibro-Tech continues under the earlier permit. State regulators will determine next steps after receiving the board’s written direction.
CalMatters reported that Phibro-Tech disputes the characterization of its compliance record and says it was inspected and cited more often than comparable facilities. Those positions, and the community advocates’ concerns, remain part of an ongoing regulatory process; the board’s action is not a final determination of all claims about the facility.
Original reporting: CalMatters — October 24 →
Official hearing materials: California Board of Environmental Safety →