California's Toxic Secret

Senators are asking tough questions. The heat is on.

(SACRAMENTO Consumer Watchdog) - It’s outrageous and it’s got to stop. Top California regulators in charge of cleaning up polluters’ messes own hundreds of thousands of dollars in the polluters’ own stock.

It’s time for Governor Brown to fire these toxic regulators. Will you join us in asking him to?

It’s no wonder California has the nation’s toughest environmental laws and the weakest enforcement.  That’s the finding of my recent report for Consumer Watchdog—Golden Wasteland—that charts the abject failure of the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to protect Californians from toxic harm.  And it’s part of the reason why the EPA recently reported that toxic emissions to soil and water from manufacturers and refineries increased in 2011 by ten percent.

Now we have learned that two of the top deputies at the agency, Chief Deputy Director Odette Madriago and Deputy Director Stewart Black, held up to six and seven figure stock values in Chevron, GE, Abbott Labs and other companies regulated by the Department with major toxic problems.

You can watch the recent NBC investigation into these conflicts. Whistleblowers have come forward to Consumer Watchdog and NBC with devastating evidence about how top managers killed enforcement actions and aided polluters.

We are calling for action from Governor Brown to fire these top deputies. Will you help us clean up this toxic agency?

Senators are asking tough questions. The heat is on. Please join us in seizing the moment to help protect hundreds of California communities with toxic sites that are overseen by the DTSC.

Many thanks for all your support,



Liza Tucker

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