Search

Plant Owners Jailed for Accepting Explosives Illegally

Posted on 3/17/2025 by Lion Technology Inc.

Last week, owners of a scrapyard that neighbors a Los Angeles-area high school were taken into custody to spend several days in jail for violating a court order. Awaiting trial on 25 counts of criminal hazardous waste management violations, the pair were found to have violated a court order by continuing to accept canisters that held explosive materials.

To avoid explosions, a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ordered the company not to accept any gas containers that hadn’t been cut or punctured. This measure was chosen over assigning bail or taking the owners into custody, to prevent future explosions.
 

Plant Owners Jailed for Accepting Explosives Illegally

Alleged Criminal Title 22/RCRA Violations

On September 26, 2025, a news release from Los Angeles County detailed the charges that the plant owners face. The two were charged with:
  • Twenty-one felony counts of knowingly disposing hazardous waste at a site with no permit and one felony county of deposit of hazardous waste.
  • One felony count of deposit of hazardous waste.
  • Two misdemeanor counts of failure to maintain or operate a facility to minimize the possibility of a fire or explosion and one count of public nuisance.
  • One misdemeanor count of failure to operate a facility to minimize the possibility of fire, explosion, or any unplanned sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous waste/hazardous waste constituents to air, soil, or surface water.
Soil from the adjacent high school showed high concentrations of lead and zinc. Metal debris from explosions at the plant have allegedly been found at the school.

The owners plead not guilty and are still awaiting trial.

Find a Post

Recent Posts

Compliance Topics

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

Very good. I have always appreciated the way Lion Tech develops, presents and provides training and materials.

John Troy

Environmental Specialist

This course went above my expectations from the moment I walked in the door. The instructor led us through two days packed with useful compliance information.

Rachel Stewart

Environmental Manager

Much better than my previous class with another company. The Lion instructor made sense, kept me awake and made me laugh!

Marti Severs

Enterprise Safety Manager

Lion courses always set the bar for content, reference, and practical application. Membership and access to the experts is an added bonus.

John Brown, CSP

Director of Safety & Env Affairs

We have a very busy work schedule and using Lion enables us to take the course at our own time. It makes it easy for me to schedule my employees' training.

Timothy Mertes

Hazmat Shipping Professional

I think LION does an excellent job of any training they do. Materials provided are very useful to my day-to-day work activities.

Pamela Embody

EHS Specialist

Lion Technology workshops are amazing!! You always learn so much, and the instructors are fantastic.

Dorothy Rurak

Environmental Specialist

The workshop covered a lot of information without being too overwhelming. Lion is much better, more comprehensive than other training providers.

George Alva

Manufacturing Manager

Lion courses are the standard to which all other workshops should strive for!

Brody Saleen

Registered Environmental Health Specialist

This is the best RCRA training I've experienced! I will be visiting Lion training again.

Cynthia L. Logsdon

Principal Environmental Engineer

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

The definitive 10-step guide for new hazardous materials shipping managers. Quickly reference the major considerations and details that impact hazmat shipping compliance.

Download
Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.