Town hall held over controversial car battery recycling factory in City of Industry

A town hall meeting was held Wednesday over a controversial car battery recycling factory in the City of Industry that has been fined by the state of California for years of violating state environmental laws. 

The California Department of Toxic Substance Control held the town hall in Hacienda Heights about Quemetco Inc. The factory melts down and recycles 10 million car batteries per year. 

Last month, the department reached a settlement of $2.3 million with Quemetco for 29 serious violations that threatened the health and safety of workers and nearby residents.

But residents nearby expressed frustration that the settlement was not enough, adding the department did not do more to prevent the community from being poisoned with lead and arsenic. 

A large group of impacted community members spoke at the town hall to ask the department to deny an impending permit application by Quemetco. 

"We believe Quemetco should be shut down," said one meeting attendee. 

Quemetco released a statement that said, in part: 

"The company is proud to be the cleanest lead recycling facility in the world, and it continually meets or exceeds all applicable environmental standards and requirements."