Senate Rules Committee advances Catherine Butler for DTSC director; members question Exide cleanup progress, lithium waste plan

The Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday advanced Catherine Butlerfor confirmation as director of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, following her three-minute opening statement and a round of questions about the Exide battery plant cleanup, hazardous-waste handling capacity and disposal of end-of-life lithium batteries.

Butler told the committee she was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom and credited prior reforms at DTSC for recent improvements. "The Department of Toxic Substances Control, or DTSC as it is called, does have an extensive history, and it does serve a critical role in protecting California communities from environmental harm," she said. Butler said DTSC has worked to clear permit backlogs, maintain fiscal stability and improve public engagement.

Committee members focused their questions on a handful of high-profile and operational issues. Senator Susan Gonzales, whose district includes communities affected by the former Exide battery recycling plant, asked about cleanup status and community communication. Butler said the department had funding to support residential cleanup around the Exide site and was "on track to complete 5,900 residential cleanups by the end of this year." She added that DTSC had started cleanup of parkways and had realized $10 million in cost savings that allowed the department to clean more homes.

Senator Grove, whose district includes one of the state's few hazardous-waste management facilities, pressed Butler on longer-term capacity for hazardous-waste management and what the state would do if in-state capacity were insufficient. Butler said California currently has two hazardous-waste facilities responsible for accepting the state's hazardous waste and described a recently published draft plan to modernize the state's hazardous-waste management system, noting that "about half of our waste does go out of state for management." The draft plan, she said, would explore more in-state treatment and sustainable practices.

Senator Bill Laird asked about end-of-life lithium disposal. Butler described lithium as "a hazardous waste by characteristic when it's no longer being used for its intended purpose" and said DTSC's hazardous-waste management plan recommends exploring incentives for recycling and expanding in-state management capacity for lithium at end of life.

Public commenters and industry representatives spoke in support of Butler's confirmation. Dawn Koepke of the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance praised Butler's accessibility and work on hazardous-waste policy. Matt Klobenstein of Energy Source Minerals, a company developing lithium extraction at the Salton Sea, said he had worked with Butler and her staff and found them responsive. A representative of Breast Cancer Prevention Partners also voiced support, saying the organization had found DTSC responsive in past interactions.

The committee moved Butler's confirmation to the full Senate. The roll call on the final vote in committee was recorded as five aye votes and no no votes; the committee left the record open earlier in the hearing while waiting for members to return before finalizing the call.

Why it matters: DTSC oversees hazardous-waste permitting and cleanup work that directly affect neighborhoods near contaminated sites and facilities that accept hazardous materials. Committee members pressed Butler on the pace of high-visibility cleanups and DTSCplans to manage growing volumes of lithium-containing wastes from batteries, both of which have multi-year operational and public-health implications.

A final confirmation vote will take place on the Senate floor.