Archive | March, 2015

EXIDE FRISCO BREAKING NEWS: TCEQ files Agreed Order against Exide and charges company with more than $2.45 million in fines for six violations of storing and handling of hazardous waste at Frisco lead smelter site

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CLICK HERE TO READ PROPOSED TCEQ AGREED ORDER AGAINST EXIDE Exide faces $2.45M in state penalties as part of plan for former Frisco plant Vernon Bryant/Staff Photographer The Exide Technologies plant in Frisco, seen last week, shut down in November 2012. By VALERIE WIGGLESWORTH vwigglesworth@dallasnews.com Staff Writer Published: 30 March 2015 08:54 PM Updated: 30 March 2015 10:31 […]

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EXIDE VERNON BREAKING NEWS: Bankruptcy judge approves U.S. Justice Department’s $133 million nonprosecution agreement with Exide that requires company to admit its criminal conduct with operation of Vernon lead smelter and to close and clean up contaminated plant. Exide, now owned by JPMorgan Chase and other banks, can be prosecuted during the next 10 years for felony environmental offenses it committed during past 20 years if it fails to adhere to terms of Justice Department deal

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LAW360 Exide’s $133M No-Prosecute Deal OK’d In Pollution Row By Brandon Lowrey Law360, Los Angeles (March 27, 2015, 8:13 PM ET) — A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Friday approved a nonprosecution agreement between Exide Technologies Inc. and federal prosecutors requiring the company to admit to illegally handling hazardous waste at its Los Angeles-area battery recycling plant, and […]

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EXIDE BANKRUPTCY BREAKING NEWS: For second time in 13 years, Bankruptcy Judge Carey approves another Exide reorganization plan. Will JPMorgan Chase and the other banks that now own it and serial polluter Exide — that admitted decades of criminal conduct in an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department — continue the company’s long record of operations that pollute and contaminate and leave behind inadequate cleanups? Will Exide really appropriately clean up its highly contaminated, closed lead smelter properties and impacted neighborhoods in Frisco and Vernon? Will elected officials and regulatory agencies from the local to the federal level ensure Exide obeys laws and regulations, or look the other way like they did for decades? What about the communities of Muncie, IN and Forest City, MO, where Exide still has lead smelters in the U.S.? How will Exide’s reduced profile and poor community health/welfare/environmental record in the U.S. impact the foreign communities where it has operations?

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WALL STREET JOURNAL Exide Wins Bankruptcy-Court Approval for Restructuring Plan Cuts $600 million from company’s $1 billion debt and puts it under ownership of senior lenders By SARA RANDAZZO March 27, 2015 5:26 p.m. ET Battery maker Exide Technologies Inc. won bankruptcy-court approval on Friday to implement a restructuring that cuts $600 million from its $1 billion in debt […]

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EXIDE VERNON SHUTDOWN UPATE: Exide — and all of the impacted neighborhoods/communities — face a long, costly cleanup of closed Vernon lead smelter

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DTSC spokeswoman Tamma Adamek said the agency will ‘hold Exide responsible for paying to clean up all areas that contain Exide’s contamination if additional information demonstrates the need.’ What if Exide does not comply? Exide could be prosecuted. Under the deal with the U.S. attorney’s office, the company admitted to two decades of criminal conduct […]

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EXIDE VERNON – California Gov. Jerry Brown’s environmental messages conflict with lax oversight of Exide – the state’s No. 1 toxic polluter – and veto of efforts to strengthen oversight of regulatory agencies charged to protect public health and environment

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THE SACRAMENTO BEE While promoting climate policies in Washington, Jerry Brown weathers fire at home BY DAVID SIDERS DSIDERS@SACBEE.COM Gov. Jerry Brown made national headlines in D.C. last week while his environmental stewardship was criticized back home. SUSAN WALSH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS One reason Gov. Jerry Brown flew to Washington last week was to promote California’s environmental […]

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VERNON EXIDE EDITORIAL: Exide to close, Now What? – Especially given decades of no or little oversight, enforcement from federal agencies, California Governor’s office to state and regional regulatory agencies

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EGPNEWS.COM Exide to Close, Now What? By EGP Editorial The U.S. Attorney’s announcement March 12 that it has reached an agreement with Exide Technologies to close its Vernon plant is certainly good news given the facility’s troubling history of toxic chemical emission and hazardous waste violations. The acid-lead battery recycler has been operating for nearly […]

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EXIDE FRISCO BREAKING NEWS: City of Frisco objects to serial polluter Exide’s vague bankruptcy reorganization plan because of concerns Exide officials have not ensured that enough money will be allocated to properly cleanup contaminated lead smelter facility, Stewart Creek, surrounding property

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CLICK HERE TO READ OBJECTION CITY OF FRISCO FILED ON MARCH 17 CLICK HERE TO READ OBJECTION CITY OF FRISCO FILED WITH BANKRUPTCY COURT IN JANUARY Below is an excerpt from the March 17 filing: For decades, Exide operated a lead recycling plant in Frisco,Texas. Several years ago, Exide shut down its operations there and sought to […]

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EXIDE VERNON BREAKING NEWS: Blood testing for Exide Vernon neighbors extended for at least 5 years

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A blood test can be requested by calling Los Angeles county at (844) 888-2290.  89.3 KPCC – Southern California Public Radio Blood testing for Exide neighbors extended for at least 5 years Adrian Florido March 17, 07:13 PM A deal struck to force the closure of Exide Technologies’ battery recycling plant in Vernon includes money […]

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EXIDE MUNCIE BREAKING NEWS: Exide agrees to settle lawsuit brought by U.S. and State of Indiana alleging violations of the Clean Air Act at Muncie smelter; Exide agrees to spend $3.9 million to install new pollution control equipment and to pay civil penalty of $820,000

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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY  NEWS RELEASE U.S. and Indiana Settle Clean Air Act Case with Exide’s Muncie Smelter to Reduce Lead Emissions Release Date: 03/16/2015 Contact Information: Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov (media only) Chicago (March 16, 2015) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Exide Technologies has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought […]

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EXIDE VERNON SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Exide’s troubled history: Years of pollution, but few penalties

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CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO LOS ANGELES TIMES Exide’s troubled history: years of pollution violations but few penalties By TONY BARBOZA MARCH 14, 2015 For decades, inspectors from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control dutifully recorded a long list of environmental infractions at the Vernon battery recycling facility now owned by Exide Technologies. They described […]

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EXIDE VERNON SHUTDOWN UPDATE: Lead and arsenic removal from Vernon smelter site will take years; How to clean it up?

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89.3 KPCC – SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO Exide Closure: Lead and arsenic removal from Vernon plant will take years Jed Kim March 13 2015 PHOTO BY C /CHARLENE VIA FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS AUDIO FROM THIS STORY – 1:02 – CLICK HERE TO LISTEN Those excited by the agreed-upon permanent closure of the Exide battery recycling […]

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EXIDE VERNON BREAKING NEWS: More stories about Exide admitting criminal conduct regarding operations at its Vernon lead smelter and the permanent shut down and cleanup of the violation-ridden plant to avoid criminal prosecution

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Over the last year, federal authorities built what appeared to be a strong criminal case against Exide Technologies, the Vernon battery recycler that has long faced scrutiny for spewing lead and arsenic into neighborhoods in southeast Los Angeles County. Investigators found environmental crimes spanning two decades and documented the transgressions in hundreds of pages. Among […]

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EXIDE VERNON BREAKING NEWS: LA TIMES EDITORIAL — How was Exide allowed to pollute for so long and endanger so many people? (This question needs to be asked and applied to Exide-impacted communities across the U.S./world)

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LOS ANGELES TIMES EDITORIAL How was Exide allowed to pollute for so long and endanger so many people? Exide Technologies will immediately begin shutting down its embattled battery recycling plant in Vernon after reaching an agreement that allows the company to avoid facing criminal prosecution for decades of pollution. (Los Angeles Times) By THE TIMES EDITORIAL […]

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EXIDE VERNON BREAKING NEWS: Community Press Conference TONIGHT to celebrate permanent closing of Exide’s Vernon lead smelter and to discuss the work ahead to be done to ensure Exide and the DTSC do a COMPLETE, THOROUGH AND TIMELY cleanup, not like what Exide has done/not done in communities across the U.S.

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TONIGHT – 7pm at 1271 S. Indiana St., Los Angeles, CA 90023 East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice EXIDE TO SHUT DOWN PERMANENTLY!!! The fight continues… Join us tonight for a Community Press Conference in East LA at the center of what has been described as the most impacted neighborhood. We will be celebrating, but […]

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EXIDE VERNON BREAKING NEWS / MEDIA ROUNDUP: FINALLY! — After decades of toxic pollution and contamination, Exide to permanently close violation-ridden Vernon lead smelter to avoid criminal charges in deal reached with U.S. Attorney

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“The reign of toxic lead ends today,” acting U.S. Atty. Stephanie Yonekura said Thursday. “After more than nine decades of ongoing lead contamination in the city of Vernon, neighborhoods can now start to breathe easier.” Under a deal between federal officials and the company, Exide acknowledges criminal conduct, including the illegal storage and transportation of hazardous […]

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EXIDE VERNON BREAKING NEWS; Yes, Exide is breaking the law again and again and again and again; EPA finds 4 new violations of Clean Air Act, comes after 8 different violations found in January and ongoing investigation by EPA’s criminal division

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CLICK HERE TO READ THE EPA’S (REGION 9) MARCH 5 NOTICE OF 4 VIOLATIONS AGAINST EXIDE’S VERNON LEAD SMELTER

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EXIDE VERNON BREAKING NEWS: WHAT PART OF VIOLATION AFTER VIOLATION AFTER VIOLATION AFTER VIOLATION FOR DECADES DOES GOV. JERRY BROWN, ELECTED OFFICIALS AT ALL LEVELS, THE DTSC, THE SCAQMD AND THE EPA NOT GET? SERIOUSLY! — State Senate leader urges regulators to close Exide lead smelter in Vernon; Protecting neighborhoods/environment a matter of Life or Death

Exide Protests

Senate oversight hearing expected to focus on state regulators’ handling of Exide plant in Vernon State Senate leader urges regulators to close Exide plant in Vernon Boyle Heights resident Veta Gashgai, holding her son, at a news conference last year with other opponents of the Exide battery-recycling plant in Vernon. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles […]

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