The metal recycling industry is critical to keeping our environment clean. DTSC does great work to protect Californians, but this is one case where moving too fast could destroy one of our state’s vital recycling services.
If you’re old enough, you probably remember the old joke line, which is supposed to be ironic, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
It’s not really fair, of course, because government programs and personnel work hard to help people every day — from Social Security and fire and police to disaster assistance and our court system. But occasionally a government agency tries to do something helpful and ends up taking a step too far, creating real harm to real people and to sectors of the economy that we rely upon every day. This is particularly true when due process is sacrificed in order to move faster.