EXIDE VERNON: Public hearing date for Exide’s draft closure plan and the DTSC’s Draft Environmental Impact Report rescheduled to Feb. 3
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES
The mission of DTSC is to protect California’s people and environment from harmful effects of toxic substances by restoring contaminated resources, enforcing hazardous waste laws, reducing hazardous waste generation, and encouraging the manufacture of chemically safer products.
Rescheduled Public Hearing Date for Exide’s Draft Closure Plan and DTSC’s Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Exide Technologies Battery Recycling Facility
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Permitting Division re-notices our invitation for you to comment at a Public Hearing on the Exide Technologies Battery Recycling Facility’s (Exide’s) draft Closure Plan for the facility located at 2700 South Indiana Street in Vernon, CA and comment on DTSC’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) which identifies the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed activities described in the draft
Closure Plan.
Approval of a Closure Plan would begin cleanup and deconstruction of buildings at the facility.
Earlier this month, DTSC mailed out a
public notice announcing the start of the
comment period for the draft Closure
Plan and DEIR which began December
8, 2015 and ends February 12, 2016.
DTSC has rescheduled the public hearing
for February 3, 2016, at the Commerce City Council Chambers located at 2535 Commerce Way in Commerce, CA, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. At this hearing, you can provide oral or written comments and any supporting data on the draft Closure Plan and DEIR for
December 2015
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Public Hearing |
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Rescheduled Public Hearing Date the Public Hearing now on: Wednesday, February 3, 2016 6:00-9:00pm City Council Chambers City of Commerce 2535 Commerce Way Commerce CA 90040 Written comments must be submitted by February 12, 2016 to: Wayne Lorentzen |
consideration before DTSC approves a Closure Plan and certifies a Final EIR.
Exide History
The facility, located at 2700 South Indiana Street, operated in Vernon for over 90 years. Most recently, Exide used this facility for secondary lead recycling to recover lead from automotive batteries and other lead-bearing materials. Exide received spent (used) lead-acid batteries and other lead-bearing materials and recycled them to recover lead.
Why is a Closure Plan being prepared?
The Closure Plan describes how Exide will clean and deconstruct the facility. In April 2015, Exide withdrew its application for a Hazardous Waste Facility Permit after DTSC informed Exide of its plans to deny the permit application. DTSC terminated the facility’s interim status authorization to manage hazardous waste in May 2015. As a result, DTSC’s regulations required Exide to submit a Closure Plan to describe how the facility will be closed in a manner that is protective of public health and the environment. Exide must implement a DTSC-approved Closure Plan to close the facility. The draft Closure Plan is available for review at the locations listed in this notice.
Why is a DEIR being prepared?
Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), DTSC must evaluate and consider the potential environmental impacts associated with activities planned in the Closure Plan. DTSC, acting as the lead agency, prepared a DEIR, State Clearinghouse No. 2015051081, which identifies significant environmental effects related to air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, geology, and soils that DTSC anticipates as a result of the Closure Plan activities. DTSC is asking for public comments on this document. The DEIR is available for review at the locations listed in this notice.
Public Comment Procedures
During this public comment period, any interested person may submit written comments and data in support of his or her comments on the draft Closure Plan and DEIR. In addition, DTSC will hold a public hearing on February 3, 2016, for any person to submit oral or written comments and any supporting data concerning the draft Closure Plan and DEIR. Reasonable limits will be set for time allowed for oral comments. A written transcript of the oral comments provided during the hearing will be made available to the public. The transcript, and all written comments and supporting data submitted by February 12, 2016, will be considered in making a final decision.
All persons who believe any segment of the draft Closure Plan or DEIR is inappropriate, must raise all issues and submit all arguments and factual grounds supporting their position, including all supporting material, by the close of the public comment period. All supporting materials must be included in full and may not be incorporated by reference, unless they are already part of the administrative record, or consist of State or Federal statutes and regulations, DTSC or USEPA documents of general applicability, or other generally available reference materials. The comment period has been extended from the standard 45-day review period and set for more than 60 days so that the public has ample opportunity to review documents, provide comments, and submit supporting materials. After considering all comments, DTSC will issue a written response to comments that will be available to the public.
