Latest news with #hazardousMaterials
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Man arrested over 'potentially hazardous materials' in Aberdeen
A 33-year-old man has been arrested following the discovery of potentially hazardous materials in had executed a warrant at a property on Cadenhead Place, in the Kittybrewster area of the city, at about 08:30. Emergency services attended and chemical items were said there was no risk to the wider public and added that inquiries were ongoing.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- CBS News
Atlas Metal recycling plant in Watts permanently closed after hazardous waste case
The troublesome Atlas Iron and Metal Corp. will permanently close its Watts recycling plant after its owners pleaded no contest to polluting a nearby school campus with hazardous materials. Father Gary Weisenberg and son Matthew Weisenberg, the owners of Atlas, are expected to be sentenced to two years of probation, ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and fined $10,500 each. Their plea agreement also mandates that their company pay $1 in restitution to the Los Angeles Unified School District, along with $150,000 in fines and penalties. Atlas must also pay $850,000 to the Department of Toxic Substances Control, the LA County Fire Health Hazardous Materials Division and the District Attorney's Office. "This outcome shuts down a dangerous facility that has threatened this community for more than 75 years," District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. "We will relentlessly pursue any business that poisons our neighborhoods. Let this be a warning — if you break the law and put public health at risk, we will hold you accountable." Atlas has faced backlash for the past few years after community members claimed the recycling facility has sent shrapnel onto the school's campus and has exposed students at the neighboring Jordan High School to toxic chemicals. According to the Los Angeles Unified School District, there are dangerous levels of lead and other metals on the campus amounting to 75 times higher than what the Environmental Protection Agency defines as hazardous. In 2021, the Los Angeles City Attorney's office sued the company for being a public nuisance. The City Attorney's office alleged that the campus was once evacuated after a 6-inch shard from a military device blasted 1,500 feet into the air before landing at the school Additionally, the city alleges metal fragments have been ejected from the facility onto Jordan High's campus at least eight times in 2020. Four years later, problems at Atlas continued after an explosion on Aug. 12, 2024, sent smoke into the air right before students returned from summer break for the first day of the school year. "This company prioritized profits over the community's well-being for far too long, and this shutdown presents a welcome reprieve," LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said. "Let this decision send a crystal-clear message: The safety of our schools and communities is not negotiable, and no company is above the law." Atlas also agreed to clean the site, fulfill state remediation requirements and remove the container wall on its property that minimizes disruptions to Jordan High School. It must also relinquish all rights under the Jordan Downs Urban Village Specific Plan or similar entitlement for operating a recycling facility. Finally, the agreement outlines a deal where the company will execute a land use covenant preventing the site from being used for recycling or similar purposes and grants LAUSD and the city of LA the right of first refusal to any future sale of the property.
CBC
06-05-2025
- CBC
Hazardous materials prompt evacuation of 46 residents in northeast Edmonton, police say
The planned removal of hazardous materials by Edmonton Police Service has prompted a voluntary evacuation of nearly 50 residents in northeast Edmonton. Residents in the evacuation area have been asked to vacate their homes while police remove unknown chemicals and substances from a townhouse unit in a complex located in the Homesteader neighbourhood. The townhouse complex is located on 50th Street and Hermitage Road. Insp. Sean Anderson, the event commander for EPS, said some materials in the townhouse could be chemical precursors that can be used in the manufacturing of explosives. Anderson said police discovered the unknown chemical substances when conducting a welfare check on a man residing in the townhouse unit on April 26. He said the residence has been secured as a crime scene since the incident, and a risk assessment determined that there was no threat to public safety until the substances were removed from the unit. It's unknown what the occupant's intentions were with the materials, but the chemicals could be related to harvesting precious metals from electronics, said Anderson. He said the occupant does have a criminal history, but no charges have been laid yet in this case, and the man has been co-operating with investigators. On Wednesday, police will begin a more thorough search of the home and removal of hazardous materials. Anderson said the removal process may introduce some hazards, and residents who live within line of sight of the property have been asked to evacuate until the operation is complete. It's unknown how long residents will be away from their homes, but Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette said residents in the affected area should plan to be away from their homes for three days. The evacuation is voluntary, but Paquette urged residents to comply with the EPS's directions to vacate the area. "Please follow the instructions and suggestions to evacuate. This may be an event that reaches the worst-case scenario," said Paquette. In a news release, EPS said that evacuated residents who do not have suitable accommodations will be provided with temporary housing and food through the City of Edmonton's Emergency Operations Centre. Police have asked residents in the evacuation area to vacate their homes by 9 p.m. Tuesday. EPS said they will continue to assess the public safety risk and provide further updates about when it is safe for evacuated residents to return.
CTV News
06-05-2025
- CTV News
‘Possible explosives' prompt temporary evacuation of northeast Edmonton homes
Edmonton police are evacuating multiple homes in Habitat Crescent N.W. on Tuesday night so officers can remove hazardous materials from one residence. (Supplied)
