California’s SB 404 Threatens Community Safety by Weakening Scrap Metal Oversight

California is currently at a crossroads where governance and public safety are on the line. Senate Bill 404, championed by Democratic Senator Anna Caballero, promises streamlined regulation for scrap metal recyclers but risks handing control to the very industry whose negligence has repeatedly endangered communities.Who Really Benefits When Regulation Is Centralized?The bill aims to transfer oversight of scrap metal recycling facilities—including notorious sites like Oakland's Radius Recycling, which triggered a toxic fire in West Oakland just two years ago—from local authorities to the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control. This move claims to introduce clarity and consistency but does so...