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Committee advances SB811 after split testimony from industry and community groups
Summary
SB811, a rewrite to regulate metal trading/shredding facilities and clarify DTSC enforcement, cleared committee after industry and unions supported the bill while environmental and community groups opposed it as deregulatory and insufficiently protective.
Sen. Caballero presented SB811 to create a statutory framework for metal trading and shredding facilities, saying the bill responds to a gubernatorial veto of last session’s SB404 by adding explicit enforcement language for the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and incorporating technical assistance from state agencies.
Industry sponsors said the bill provides regulatory certainty for an industry that supports recycling, construction supply chains and union jobs. Bob Hoffman (California Metal Recyclers Coalition) described the bill as providing enforceable standards that protect neighborhoods while preserving recycling infrastructure. Scott Wetsch (representing multiple trades) emphasized the facilities’ role in the circular economy and workforce benefits.
Environmental and community witnesses told a different story. Ben Eichenberg (San Francisco Baykeeper) said the panel’s draft was "strictly deregulatory" and did not protect communities or the Bay from hazardous waste and fire risks; he urged local control under existing law. Scott Andrews (West Oakland) stressed that a multiagency community‑DTSC coalition already exists and urged the Legislature to allow that collaborative process to proceed rather than move this bill forward now. Others including Earthjustice, NRDC, local school districts and Alameda County officials registered opposition or 'respectful opposition' in the room.
Senator Caballero said the bill incorporates technical language and the TA from DTSC and the administration and that he worked with stakeholders to address concerns. Committee members pressed on enforceability and the split of responsibilities among air and water boards, and the sponsor said DTSC language would be further incorporated in follow‑on amendments. The committee moved SB811 'do pass' to appropriations; the clerk later recorded the committee vote as the bill passing out of committee (final announcement: 5–0).
