November 2015
Oakland's Toxic Failure
After Oakland failed for a decade to protect the public and firefighters from hazardous materials, the
state stripped the city of these duties. And now investigators are looking into illegal shipments of toxic waste and the misuse of public funds.
The state has also uncovered financial discrepancies in how Oakland handled more than a million dollars in funds that were supposed to be dedicated to the city's hazardous waste program. In addition, the city illegally transferred another quarter million dollars of hazmat program funds into Oakland's general fund.
Moreover, both city and fire officials have provided few answers to account for these failures of management, which have thus far gone unreported in the news media.
At this point, it's unclear what state authorities plan to do regarding their investigation into Oakland's illegal shipments of toxic materials. But the state has already taken action to address the city's larger failure to protect the public. Last January, the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal EPA) stripped the Oakland Fire Department of its responsibilities for protecting residents from hazardous materials, and placed the job in the hands of Alameda County. That decision will have far reaching consequences, including costs to the City of Oakland.
Public records also show that members of the city council and other top Oakland officials knew all along about the continuing failure of the fire department to correct numerous deficiencies in its hazardous waste inspection and enforcement program. They also knew the program's money had been illegally steered into the city's general fund, and that other budget irregularities indicated that the department had used its funds in questionable ways.
Yet for years, the problems deepened and placed the public and city employees in danger of toxic exposure every day.
http://m.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/oaklands-toxic-failure/Content?oid=4572375
