Metal recycling plant accused of exposing Watts high school students to explosions, toxic waste

A metal recycling plant was charged in a 25-count indictment on Thursday for allegedly exposing students at Jordan High School in Watts to thunderous explosions, hazardous waste and lead levels 75 times higher than those deemed safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, authorities said.

S&W Atlas Iron & Metal and its owners, Matthew Weisenberg and Gary Weisenberg, were charged in the Los Angeles County Superior Court with 23 felonies related to disposal of hazardous waste and two misdemeanors related to failure to minimize the risk of explosion or fire. The defendants pleaded not guilty.

“No child should have to face these dangers while trying to learn,� L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón said at a news conference. “By prosecuting Atlas Metals we are sending a message that corporate disregard for environmental laws will not be tolerated.�

Gascón initially announced two dozen charges against Atlas in June 2023.

A spokesperson for the company described Gascón’s Thursday conference as “tactical gamemanship.�

“Today’s indictment repeats 24 of the counts from the complaint filed more than a year ago and adds a single misdemeanor,� said the spokesperson in a statement. “In court, Atlas explained to the judge the actions they have taken over the years to protect the neighboring school and the court was satisfied with these protections.�

Atlas has continued to operate since the charges were filed.

When students arrived on campus for the first day of school this fall, they were greeted with a ear-splitting boom and plume of smoke emanating from Atlas. The indictment announced on Thursday includes an additional count for the Aug. 12 explosion.

Soil samples from Jordan High School show excessive concentrations of lead and zinc, authorities say. Above, Atlas in January 2023.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

“The explosion that occurred during the first day of school makes clear to me that only the worst perpetrators of environmental crime would feel compelled to continue operating business as usual while students are being exposed to toxins,� said Genesis Cruz, a 2023 graduate of Jordan High. “It needs to be shut down immediately and get out of our community.�

Cruz recalled breathing “brown, dirty air� while studying at Jordan High and said she frequently found it difficult to focus due to the loud bangs from the metal recycling plant.

She was one of the first community members to sound the alarm about dangerous conditions by the plant and helped organize protests and reach out to school district and elected officials.

Jordan High School students and community members protest outside the Atlas recycling facility in January 2023.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

For years, Cruz’s cries fell on deaf ears.

Now, she and other community organizers say they feel progress is finally being made.

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“Having been a resident of the Watts community my entire life, 71 years, it really gives me hope to see the end of a project we’ve been working on for nearly 15 years,� said Tim Watkins, director and chief executive of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee. “We’re finally seeing a step towards justice.�

Atlas has operated next to Jordan High School for over 70 years and has a long history of explosions.

In May 2002, an explosion sent metal shards onto Jordan’s campus while workers were cutting an oil drum. A few months later in December 2002, the facility was dismantling Navy ammunition when a large shell exploded and a chunk of metal flew onto the campus.

In 2020, the Los Angeles Unified School District filed a lawsuit against Atlas, alleging it has endangered students and teachers by releasing sharp pieces of metal, smoke, fumes and other hazards onto school grounds.

Soil samples taken from Jordan’s campus show excessive concentrations of lead and zinc, according to authorities.

Exposure to high levels of lead can damage the nervous system in children, causing problems including hearing loss, seizures, learning disabilities and decreased intelligence, according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health.

The defendants are due in court for a pretrial hearing on Oct. 28.