Well, it is California, which is not only NIMBY Central but also Self-Righteous Hypocrisy Capital. Why shouldn’t they just pollute their neighbors’ land?
California is revealing new information to the public that shows that the eco-friendly state is dumping tons of toxic waste in other states every year.
Since 2010, California has dumped nearly half of its hazardous waste out of state—mostly in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada—according to the state’s latest figures (pdf). Thirteen more states also have received California’s toxic waste but in much lower quantities.
In the past 13 years, the state has dumped 3.7 million tons of hazardous waste in Utah, more than 2.9 million tons in Arizona, and nearly 2.3 million tons in Nevada.
And the best:
An investigation published by CalMatters in January found that one of the biggest out-of-state toxic waste dumpers was the state’s own Department of Toxic Substances Control.
Why? California has oodles of deserted space to house their own toxic shit — e.g. Hollywood — so why do this?
The reason is that neighboring states don’t have as many environmental regulations for dumping hazardous waste, and it costs less.
…because:
Many experts say a law that passed two years ago, Senate Bill 158, increased the cost to dump hazardous waste in California—one reason why the state uses landfills elsewhere. It increased taxes and fees at landfills and imposed charges on organizations that use, generate, or store hazardous waste.
And it doesn’t stop there:
In the 1970s, the state had 12 operating hazardous waste incinerators and 12 proposals to build new ones. But in 1990, those projects were killed by environmental activists and most of the existing facilities were closed to provide “environmental justice” to the communities affected by them, according to Williams.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, solid waste incinerators emit hazardous air pollutants, harmful emissions, and toxic ash, posing health concerns for nearby residents and the environment.
Environmental justice for California’s own communities; for those dirty Injuns in Arizona and Nevada, they suggest, it’s not so important.
All that said, I have little sympathy for California’s neighbors because their own governments — dare I say because of California’s bribe money the revenues? — seem to have little interest in ending all this nonsense, which they could do with a stroke of the legislative pen. Still:
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), who represents the region in Congress, said California should keep its waste. “It’s bad enough that liberal Californians are moving in droves to Arizona after torching their own state and turning it into a cesspool of crime and homeless junkies,” Gosar told The Epoch Times in a statement. “We certainly don’t need or want their toxic waste.
Tell that to your Democrat buddies and Arizona’s fraudulent governor, buddy. Good luck with that.
(I know, “Where are the tar and feathers?” but go with me…)
