Senate Leader Atkins on Exide Bankruptcy Ruling: ‘An affront to all Californians’

SACRAMENTO – Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) released the following statement today following the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware ruling that Exide Technologies may abandon its shuttered battery recycling plant in Vernon:

"Today's court decision allowing Exide to abandon its Vernon toxic waste dump is an affront to all Californians. It saddles taxpayers with hundreds of millions of dollars in cleanup costs, leaves a legacy of deadly lead pollution in our Southern California neighborhoods, and is a horrifying example of environmental and economic injustice disproportionately impacting communities of color. We need to redouble our efforts to reform our state toxics programs to ensure this kind of nightmare never happens again."

###

Toni G. Atkins is President pro Tempore of the California Senate. Having previously served as Speaker of the California Assembly, she began her tenure in the Senate in 2016. As Senator for District 39, she represents the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Del Mar and Solana Beach. Website of President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins: www.senate.ca.gov/Atkins