CYPRESS, Calif. (AP) — California shouldn't weaken hazardous waste rules to allow local landfills to accept toxic dirt that currently goes to two specialized disposal sites in the Central Valley and hazardous facilities in other states, the state Board of Environmental Safety voted Thursday.
The vote went against a proposal by the Department of Toxic Substances Control that had prompted fierce opposition from environmental groups.
“I think they have been really listening to the community," said Melissa Bumstead with the advocacy group Parents Against the Santa Susana Field Lab.
California's hazardous waste laws are stricter than the federal government's, and the state has long transported much of the waste it considers hazardous to other states with more lenient rules.
The Department of Toxic Substances Control said disposing more waste in state would likely reduce costs and truck emissions. But environmental advocates worried the plan could have exposed already vulnerable communities to contaminated waste and set the precedent for more rules to be weakened.
“I don't think that municipal waste landfills were ever designed to accept this kind of waste, and to deregulate it ... puts those landfill communities” at risk, said Jane Williams, executive director of California Communities Against Toxics.
California only has two hazardous waste landfills — Buttonwillow and Kettleman Hills in the San Joaquin Valley — which are expected to reach capacity by 2039, according to a report by the department. An estimated 47% of California’s hazardous waste is trucked across state borders. Contaminated soil, waste oil and mixed oil are the state’s three largest annual sources of hazardous waste. On average, more than 567,000 tons (514,373 metric tons) of toxic soil are produced every year.
The hearing comes months after wildfires in Los Angeles incinerated cars, homes and everything in them, turning ordinary objects into hundreds of tons of hazardous waste requiring specialized cleanup. It was the largest wildfire hazardous materials cleanup in the EPA’s history.
The infernos have also raised concerns about toxic ash and soil. Just this week, the Pasadena Unified School District published soil testing results showing high levels of arsenic or brain-damaging lead in nearly half its schools.
After the fires, hazardous waste was sent to temporary sites to be separated and packaged before most of it was trucked to Utah, Arizona, Nebraska and Arkansas. Two facilities were in California — in Wilmington, near the port of Long Beach, and Buttonwillow. The type and amount of waste deposited in them varies by site, but it includes oil, radioactive materials, paint residue, asbestos, controlled substances and fluorescent lamps.
“I think that the fires have really brought to the fore some long-standing issues,” said Angela Johnson Meszaros with the environmental law group Earthjustice. “And one of them is, how are we going to deal with cleanup, right? Because fires are not the only thing that cause soil to be hazardous.”
A state law passed in 2021 set out to reform the Department of Toxic Substances Control. In March, the department released a draft plan of sweeping proposals that would guide state and local hazardous management. The board is expected to make a final decision in the summer.
Board member Alexis Strauss Hacker recalled how concerned people were about the proposal during their March meeting in Fresno. The fear, she said, was “so palpable.”
Although California has decreased its hazardous waste by more than 40% since 2000, lithium-ion batteries and other types of waste are expected to increase, the report says, and the state currently lacks the capacity to manage them. Lithium-ion batteries are found in common items such as electronic vehicles, cellphones and laptops.
Decades of industrial environmental pollution can accumulate, too.
Bumstead has lived near the heavily polluted Santa Susana Field Laboratory in Southern California, once a site for rocket testing and nuclear reactor development.
Her 15-year-old daughter is a two-time cancer survivor, and Bumstead was born with three spleens. She believes her family’s health issues are linked to pollution from the nearby site. So when she heard that California environmental regulators wanted to weaken hazardous waste disposal rules in a bid to dump toxic soil into local landfills, she was very concerned.
The Los Angeles fires have made more people realize that toxic materials could end up in their backyard, Bumstead said.
“The more we see climate change, the more we see wildfires, the more this is going to become a front line issue,” she told the board. “This is an opportunity not just for hazardous waste that is manufactured, but also hazardous waste that is created by wildfires on how to create a plan that is going to protect Californians in the future.”
———
The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
Rebecca Overmyer-Velázquez, a community organizer and coordinator with the environmental group Clean Air Coalition, gives a speech before Thursday's California's Board of Environmental Safety public hearing in Cypress, Calif, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Dorany Pineda)
Matt Holmes with the California Environmental Justice Coalition gives a speech before Thursday's Board of Environmental Safety public hearing in Cypress, Calif., Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Dorany Pineda)
The massive military parade commemorating the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army, which coincides with President Donald Trump ’s 79th birthday is being staged Saturday in Washington, D.C. The event is expected to include about 6,600 soldiers, 50 helicopters and 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks, as well as possibly 200,000 attendees and heightened security to match.
Opponents of the president’s agenda are simultaneously rallying in hundreds of cities nationwide at “No Kings” protests following days of nationwide demonstrations against federal immigration raids, including in Los Angeles, where Trump deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Here's the Latest:
Philadelphia is hosting the main “No Kings” march and rally. Organizers wanted to avoid the huge security presence in Washington, D.C., where this evening’s military parade coincides with Trump’s birthday.
Several hundred people have gathered in Love Park, despite intermittent rain. Organizers are handing out small American flags. Many people are carrying anti-Trump signs with messages including “fight oligarchy” and “deport the mini-Mussolinis” and “the wrong ice is melting” as they wait for the march to start.
A handful of people are wearing gas masks or balaclavas to cover their faces. One woman in a foam Statue of Liberty crown brought a speaker system and is leading a singalong, changing “young man” to “con man” as people sing on of Trump’s favorite tunes, “YMCA.”
One man in revolutionary-war era garb and a tri-corner hat is holding a sign that quotes Thomas Jefferson: “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
Rain is forecast across the Washington region right around parade time, but Trump is looking forward to seeing the crowd.
Rain pounded the nation’s capital Friday night, and the National Weather Service says a flood watch is in effect for the area until 2 p.m. Saturday. Chances for more thunderstorms increase through Saturday afternoon and evening, and as much as three inches of rain could fall within an hour or two, forecasters said.
Trump remained positive Saturday morning in a Truth Social post: “OUR GREAT MILITARY PARADE IS ON, RAIN OR SHINE. REMEMBER, A RAINY DAY PERADE BRINGS GOOD LUCK. I’LL SEE YOU ALL IN D.C.”
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly has said the parade will happen even if it rains, but that lightning could cause organizers to clear out the area for safety reasons.
Vendors are taking advantage of the expected large expected crowds and setting up shop on Pennsylvania Ave. near secured zones for the Amy’s 250th birthday festival and parade.
Large snowplows are being used to block off vehicle traffic, allowing pedestrians to walk on the historic street and visit vendors selling art, souvenirs, clothes, jewelry and beverages. There’s also a wide variety of food options, from fan-favorite funnel cakes to lobster rolls.
Several small stages where musicians will provide live music are also spread out through the vending area.
Many elected officials have urged protesters at the “No Kings” demonstrations to be peaceful, and warned that they will show no tolerance for violence, destruction or activities such as blocking roadways.
In Philadelphia, site of the flagship “No Kings” march and rally for Saturday’s nationwide demonstration, the city’s top prosecutor had a warning for federal agents as well.
“ICE agents going beyond their legal rights … killing, assaulting, illegally handling people in violation of the law, denying them their due process in a way that constitutes a crime under the laws of Pennsylvania, you will be prosecuted,” District Attorney Larry Krasner told a news conference Thursday.
Krasner is a leading progressive prosecutor whose police accountability efforts have made him a prominent campaign trail target in Pennsylvania for Trump and other Republicans.
A survey published this week finds that U.S. adults are more likely to approve than disapprove of Trump’s decision to hold the military parade — The AP-NORC poll found that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults “somewhat” or “strongly” approve of the parade, while about 3 in 10 “somewhat” or “strongly” disapprove.
But about 6 in 10 Americans surveyed said the parade is “not a good use” of government money — including the vast majority of people, 78%, who neither approve nor disapprove of the parade overall, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Officials have said the display of military force will cost tens of millions of taxpayer dollars.
▶ Read more about the AP-NORC Poll on Trump’s military parade
It’s a festive atmosphere in the shadow of the Georgia state capitol, where the American Civil Liberties Union is handing out blue wristbands to keep count of the crowd in Liberty Plaza. Organizers said the plaza already reached its capacity of 5,000 people.
Many of the “No Kings” demonstrators are carrying American flags. It’s a diverse crowd, mostly people in their 50s or older, and some families with children.
One woman is carrying a sign saying “when cruelty becomes normal, compassion looks radical.” Taylar W. — she didn’t want her full last name used — said “there’s just so much going on in this country that’s not OK, and if no one speaks up about it, who will?”
A day ahead of the military parade in Washington, about 60 veterans and family members were arrested on Friday after authorities said they crossed a police line.
Organizers with Veterans for Peace said they were planning to hold a sit-in at the U.S. Capitol in protest of the presence of military members on the nation’s streets. That includes for Saturday’s military parade, as well as National Guard and active-duty Marines in Los Angeles.
Police say participants were arrested after they crossed a perimeter of bike racks intended to keep them away from the U.S. Capitol.
The tanks are staged and ready to roll. Fencing and barriers are up. Protective metal plating has been laid out on Washington’s streets.
And more than 6,000 troops are poised to march near the National Mall to honor the Army’s 250th anniversary on Saturday, which happens to be President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
One big unknown: Rain is in the forecast and lightning could cause delays, but the White House said the parade must go one, rain or shine. And Trump said Thursday night that the weather “doesn’t matter ... Doesn’t affect the tanks at all. Doesn’t affect the soldiers. They’re used to it.”
Daylong festivities celebrating the Army are planned on the National Mall — featuring NFL players, fitness competitions and displays — culminating in the parade, which is estimated to cost $25 million to $45 million. The Army expects as many as 200,000 people to attend.
A special reviewing area is being set up so that the president can watch up close as each formation passes the White House.
Cities large and small were preparing for major demonstrations Saturday across the U.S. against Trump, as officials urge calm and National Guard troops mobilize.
A flagship “No Kings” march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C.
The demonstrations come on the heels of protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids that began last week and Trump ordering National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire.
Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades while officials enforced curfews in Los Angeles and Democratic governors called Trump’s Guard deployment “an alarming abuse of power” that “shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.”
The massive military parade that President Trump has long wanted is set to step off from the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday evening, with tanks, bands and thousands of troops.
And the biggest question marks are whether it will be overshadowed or delayed by either the weather in Washington or planned protests elsewhere around the country.
Falling on Trump’s 79th birthday, the parade was added just a few weeks ago to the Army’s long-planned 250th anniversary celebration. It has triggered criticism for its price tag of up to $45 million and the possibility that the lumbering tanks could tear up city streets. The Army has taken a variety of steps to protect the streets, including laying metal plates down along the route.
The daylong display of America’s Army comes as Trump has shown his willingness to use his fighting forces in ways other U.S. presidents have typically avoided, inviting an array of lawsuits and accusations that he is politicizing the military.
A fence blocks access to the White House ahead of an upcoming military parade commemorating the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A man bicycles with several flags past a helicopter on display during preparations for an upcoming military parade commemorating the Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin).
People walk in between security fencing and concrete barricades toward a large photograph of President Donald Trump and President Abraham Lincoln, draped on the USDA building, Friday, June 13, 2025, on the National Mall in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Members of the California National Guard and U.S. Marines, guard the entrance outside the Wilshire Federal Building, ahead of Saturday's nationwide "No Kings Day" protest, in Los Angeles, Calif., Friday, June 13, 2025. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
Soldiers prepare ahead of wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, honoring the Army's 250th anniversary and coinciding with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
