NYTimes...State regulators have long been concerned about the environmental impact of auto recycling. But for 30 years, former state officials say, the industry has used its influence in Sacramento to thwart further environmental controls. Recently, with Gov. Jerry Brown’s appointment of a new Department of Toxic Substances Control chief, there are signs the situation could be about to change. But any new rules about the handling of auto fluff may come too late to deal with millions of tons of potentially toxic waste already buried in California landfills.
“Can I tell you where it all went? No,” said Brian Johnson, who succeeded Mr. Filter as the agency’s deputy director for enforcement, referring to auto fluff generated over the past three decades. “We at the D.T.S.C. don’t have a clear handle on where it goes because we have not regulated it.”
