On June 22, 2023 this story was updated with a statement from an attorney representing the Atlas Iron and Metal Corporation.
A metal salvage and recycling yard adjacent to Jordan High School in Watts was charged with 24 criminal counts for alleged illegal disposal of hazardous waste, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.
S&W Atlas Iron and Metal Corp. and its owners, Gary and Matthew Weisenberg, were charged with 21 felony counts of knowingly disposing hazardous waste at a site with no permit and one felony count of deposit of hazardous waste, prosecutors said. They were also charged with single misdemeanor counts of public nuisance and failure to maintain or operate a facility to minimize the possibility of a fire.
Arraignment for the defendants was set for Monday in downtown Los Angeles.
Benjamin Gluck, an attorney for Atlas and the Weisenbergs, said in a statement they were "disappointed to see the charges."