West Oakland Collaborative
On January 17, 2025, EPA Region 9 (Pacific Southwest) launched a new collaborative effort to address impacts posed by a metal shredding operation (Radius Recycling) in West Oakland, California. This unique partnership includes the community group - West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP), the metal shredder - Radius Recycling (a.k.a. Schnitzer Steel), and state and local agencies including - CalEPA, the State Water Resources Control Board, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). The collaborative is an outgrowth of the inter-agency Rapid Response Task Force (RRTF) that was stood up in 2023 to increase coordination between federal, state, and local agency partners in response to an August 2023 fire that started at Radius Recycling’s West Oakland facility.