Assemblymember Skinner Weighs In on Court Order Closing Hazardous Waste Plant in Richmond

Assemblymember Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) applauded a Contra Costa County Superior Court judge for shutting down the hazardous waste generating operations of Electro-Forming, a metal plating company in Richmond with a history of violating state laws.

“Electro-Forming and its owners have put our community and the environment at risk for years,” said Skinner. “It’s a relief that the court and the state finally took this action.”

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) petitioned the court for this shutdown after an inspection in August revealed that Electro-Forming was ignoring a preliminary injunction issued in March 2014 that required the company to rectify ongoing violations. In March, DTSC discovered that the company was improperly storing waste metal dust, resulting in both the company and nearby properties being contaminated with the hazardous particles. DTSC also discovered that Electro-Forming could not account for a 275-gallon drum of acid waste that had gone missing.

“This facility was a disaster waiting to happen,” said Skinner last year when she started digging into allegations by former employee who claimed he was instructed to dump hazardous liquid waste from the plant down a sink at a company owner’s home.

Although the court’s decision specifically halted hazardous waste generating operations at the plant, in practice the order will shut down most operations of Electro-Forming because those activities are essential to the plant’s operations.

—Information submitted by Office of Nancy Skinner