In 2023, our investigators discovered that several Bay Area facilities owned by Radius Recycling were discharging stormwater with levels of pollution higher than is legally allowed.
Radius—formerly operating as Schnitzer Steel—runs four auto-dismantling salvage yards in Fairfield, Richmond, Oakland, and Newark. The company’s self-reported stormwater sampling data showed that these “Pick-n-Pull” facilities were discharging stormwater containing elevated concentrations of metals into the Bay where it could flow into the Suisun wetlands, San Pablo Bay, Arrowhead Marsh, and the Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge.
So, we took action and filed a lawsuit against Radius for violating the Clean Water Act. The company agreed to make substantial changes to its facilities to control and treat its runoff pollution and prevent it from harming the Bay watershed. We will monitor the Pick-n-Pull facilities closely to be sure they comply and don’t have further pollution violations.
As part of Baykeeper’s legal agreements, defendants are always required to make a payment to benefit the Bay to mitigate for the impacts of their past pollution. In this case, Radius agreed to pay $400,000 to benefit the Bay.
Around the time of our settlement, UC Davis’ fish laboratory was in the news because the fate of its federal funding was uncertain. This facility manages the world’s largest remaining Delta Smelt population—there are very few Delta Smelt remaining in the wild in the Bay-Delta watershed.
So Baykeeper and Radius acted quickly to direct our settlement funds to UC Davis for the conservation and care of the Bay’s most endangered and imperiled fish species, including Delta Smelt, Green and White Sturgeon, Longfin Smelt, and Chinook Salmon.
“We at UC Davis have the privilege and the responsibility of conserving rare and endangered fishes,” as Nann Fangue, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology Department at UC Davis said, “The financial support facilitated by Baykeeper was ever so timely. These funds are critical to our operations, and the great work of our students and staff continues. We are thankful that Baykeeper was able to swoop in and save the day.”
Earlier this month, the Baykeeper team visited the UC Davis lab (pictured below) and the wonderful fishes that will be protected as a result of this win.
Photo, above, of UC Davis lab staff handling a White Sturgeon. Photo at top of Longfin Smelt by UC Davis’ Dr Levi Lewis
