author: Leyva
The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the agency responsible for protecting Californians from the harmful effects of toxic substances, has struggled to earn the trust of communities of color, due to many cases of dubious oversight, like the Exide battery plant, Kettleman Hills hazardous waste facility, and Jordan Downs housing project. SB 774 would create a independent, 5-member board — the California Toxic Substances Board (CTSB) — to oversee the work of the DTSC, providing more accountability. (This bill was vetoed by Governor Brown.)