Metal recycler Radius Recycling has reached a settlement with California environmental regulators over multiple fires at the company's Oakland, California, scrap yard.
Radius Recycling will pay $1.5mn in penalties and costs related to 21 violations of hazardous waste law, including from investigations of three fires at the Oakland scrap yard between 2018-2023, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) said 17 June.
Radius Recycling, an Oregon-based bulk scrap exporter now owned by Toyota Tsusho, will split the payment roughly evenly to three areas: to reimburse DTSC's enforcement costs, to support special environmental projects, and to pay a civil penalty under hazardous waste law.
The company will also upgrade the scrap yard with new fire prevention measures, including installing infrared cameras to detect hot spots in scrap piles.
Radius said the settlement resolves all open enforcement matters with DTSC.
"Radius Recycling has an unwavering commitment to operate safely, responsibly, and in full compliance with all environmental regulations," the company said.
A fire at the Oakland scrap yard in 2023 sparked an uproar in the community. A local district attorney brought criminal charges in the aftermath, but those charges were later dropped.
Radius' Oakland yard is a major source of ferrous scrap exports on the US west coast. It exported about 600,000 metric tonnes (t) of scrap in bulk cargoes last year, accounting for a quarter of total west coast bulk exports, according to [Argus estimates](https://metals.argusmedia.com/dataanddownloads/downloadfile/365085) of VesselFinder tracking data.
