By Lookout Staff
January 23 -- The Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office on Thursday warned a dozen businesses that they are illegally generating or storing hazardous materials in the city.
The warning letters were sent out after the City’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment (OSE) referred the cases for prosecution when the business’s failed to meet hazardous materials permit requirements, said Deputy City Attorney Gary Rhoades.
The violations continued after OSE representatives sent multiple notices and tried numerous times to contact the violators, according to City officials.
“Our goal is to protect the safety of our community and the environment from the hazards of everyday chemicals,” said OSE’s Senior Environmental Analyst James Conway.
“Unfortunately, when businesses decide to operate without a valid permit and fail to properly disclose the chemicals they are using, they are unnecessarily placing their own employees, City residents, and emergency response personnel at risk,” Conway said.
California and Santa Monica laws require permits, fees, and hazardous material inventories from any business generating or storing significant amounts of hazardous materials.
The City Attorney’s warning letter gives each business one more chance to comply by February 2, Rhoades said.
If the businesses fail to do so, “the office has made preparations to file prosecutions immediately after that deadline passes,” he said.
