San Leandro-based scrap metal recycler Alco Iron & Metal will pay nearly $1.5 million under a court judgment entered Oct. 13, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) announced.

Where the money goes

The judgment totals about $1.47 million. Roughly $735,000 is civil penalties. Another $735,000 goes to Supplemental Environmental Projects, community benefit work that the Rose Foundation will manage, according to DTSC.

What inspectors found

DTSC inspected Alco's facilities in San Leandro, Stockton and Vallejo between 2018 and 2020. The department says the Stockton investigation grew out of CalEPA's 2019 Environmental Justice Initiative. The violations DTSC cited include improper storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste, mishandling of used oil and universal waste, and inadequate dust and fire controls.

What each side says

DTSC Director Katherine Butler and Rose Foundation Executive Director Deb Self both commented on the settlement in DTSC's announcement.

Alco Chief Operating Officer Michael Bercovich told KTVU the case was "regulatory overreach" and said the issues date back nearly a decade.

Assemblymember Liz Ortega contrasted the roughly $1.5 million with the $7,000 Cal/OSHA fined after three worker deaths at the company, KTVU reported. A 2025 KTVU investigation found three worker deaths and more than 60 safety violations at Alco since the 1990s.

The bigger picture

DTSC says it has taken 111 enforcement actions since 2025, totaling almost $13 million.