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California Department of Toxic Substances Control v. NL Industries, Inc. et al

  1. August 04, 2023

    Toxic Vernon Plant Can't Be Left 'A Graveyard,' Judge Told

    During closing arguments Friday in the division of liability phase of a federal bench trial over contamination at a battery plant, an attorney for California's chemical regulator said that accepting a defendant's argument that slag and acid are safely sealed underground at the Vernon, California, site means accepting it as "a graveyard."

  2. August 02, 2023

    Battery Plant Dumped Acid Into Ground Daily, Expert Testifies

    An expert for a defendant in a California toxic chemical regulators' lawsuit over a Superfund battery recycling plant testified in a bench trial on Wednesday that a former operator of the site, co-defendant NL Industries, dumped thousands of gallons of acid into the ground on a daily basis.

  3. August 01, 2023

    Forget It, Jake, It's Vernon: Judge Sees 'Chinatown' In Trial

    A California federal judge on Tuesday lamented the bureaucratic mess before the court at the start of a bench trial's third phase over a Superfund battery recycling plant in the city of Vernon, wondering if someone one day will write a book similar to the film "Chinatown" on the case.

  4. May 30, 2023

    Calif. Takes Vernon Superfund Suit To Bench Trial Round Two

    California toxic chemical regulators seeking cleanup reimbursement at a Superfund battery recycling plant in the city of Vernon delivered opening statements Tuesday in the second phase of the federal bench trial, arguing the defendant companies released groundwater contaminants, while the companies blamed a facility almost a mile away.

  5. October 25, 2022

    Court Limits Calif.'s Ability To Chase Costs At Battery Plant

    A California federal judge handed a win to companies battling the state over the $136 million cleanup of a former battery recycling center near downtown Los Angeles, ruling that the area in which liability can be determined is much smaller than what the state asked for.

  6. May 13, 2022

    Soil Scientist Says Lead From Battery Site Didn't Travel Far

    A soil scientist hired by defendant metal companies and battery manufacturers to testify in a $136 million Superfund cleanup trial said Friday he believed not all the lead that was released from the now-defunct Vernon Plant battery recycling facility traveled beyond the industrial zone and onto residential properties.

  7. May 12, 2022

    Lead Near Battery Site Was Triple Similar Area, Expert Says

    An expert hired by the California Department of Toxic Substance Control testified in a $136 million bench trial Thursday that lead levels in soil samples taken near a former battery recycling plant in Vernon were three times higher than in a comparable area about 14 miles south.

  8. May 11, 2022

    Calif. Agency Kicks Off Trial Seeking $136M For Lead Cleanup

    The California Department of Toxic Substances Control opened a bench trial Wednesday seeking more than $136 million for the cleanup of a former battery recycling facility, contending that the plant carried lead emitted from nearly a century of operations up to two miles away.

  9. June 08, 2021

    Calif. Says Lead Biz Bid To Dodge $136M Cleanup Is Too Early

    California says lead company NL Industries Inc. is attempting to leapfrog out of a $136 million toxic cleanup suit by introducing a "tome" of exhibits that are premature and unrelated to present motions.

  10. April 22, 2021

    Metal Co. Wants Out Of Calif. $136M Toxic Cleanup Suit

    Lead company NL Industries Inc. urged a California federal court Thursday to let it out of a suit from state officials seeking over $136 million from several companies for cleanup of a former battery recycling facility, arguing it bears no blame for the current state of the property.

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