Senate Rules Committee advances Katie Butler to full Senate after DTSC hearing on Exide, hazardous waste and lithium

Katie Butler, nominated to lead the Department of Toxic Substances Control, won committee approval to move her confirmation to the full Senate after a Rules Committee hearing on April 30.

Butler told the committee she supports continuing reforms at DTSC and described the agency’s cleanup work at the former Exide battery plant and related neighborhood sites. "We are on track to complete 5,900 residential cleanups by the end of this year," Butler said, and she told senators the Exide program achieved about $10,000,000 in cost savings this year that allowed more properties to be cleaned.

The discussion focused on three practical issues: the state’s limited number of permitted hazardous‑waste facilities, DTSC’s modernization of hazardous waste management, and planning for disposal and recycling of lithium‑ion batteries. Senator Grove noted California has only “two hazardous waste facilities” that accept many waste types and asked what the state’s backup would be if a facility could not safely receive material. Butler said DTSC recently published a draft plan to modernize hazardous‑waste management that aims to expand in‑state treatment options and to strengthen oversight of the existing facilities.

Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman (Senator Gonzales in the hearing) and other members pressed Butler on Exide cleanup timelines and community communications. Senator Gonzales said Californians remain responsible for large cleanup costs, saying residents were still feeling the effects of delays and cost overruns and noting a previously cited statewide cleanup obligation of about $750,000,000 related to Exide. Butler credited community partnerships and cited a new third‑party monitor for on‑site work as a recent step to improve transparency and field oversight.

Committee members also raised longer‑term questions about lithium. Senator Laird asked how the state should prepare for end‑of‑life lithium from batteries. Butler replied that “lithium is a hazardous waste by characteristic when it’s no longer being used for its intended purpose” and said DTSC’s hazardous‑waste management draft plan recommends exploring incentives for recycling and creating more in‑state management capacity for end‑of‑life lithium.

Public commenters included representatives of industry and environmental groups. Dawn Koepke, representing the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance, and Matt Klobenstein of Energy Source Minerals — a company developing lithium extraction near the Salton Sea — both praised Butler’s accessibility and the expertise of DTSC staff. A representative from Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (identified in the hearing as Auntie Strela) also testified in support.

The committee accepted a motion by the vice chair to forward Butler’s confirmation to the Senate floor. The roll call recorded five aye votes and no nays; the committee kept the roll open earlier because one member was temporarily absent but closed with a 5–0 approval. The nomination now moves to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.

While Butler emphasized DTSC’s progress on permitting backlogs and public engagement, she and several senators agreed the department must continue improving communications with local elected officials and non‑English‑speaking communities while pursuing federal coordination — including with U.S. EPA on a potential Superfund listing for the Exide facility.

If confirmed by the Senate, Butler said she would continue the department’s reform efforts, prioritize stronger legislative and local communication, and pursue the hazardous‑waste plan’s recommendations on recycling and in‑state treatment capacity.

Votes at a glance: Motion to forward Katie Butler’s nomination to the full Senate: motion moved by the vice chair; roll call recorded Maggie/Maguire, Grove, Gonzales, Jones, Laird as aye; outcome approved 5–0. (See actions array for full vote record.)