"Brown Criticized for Veto of Bill To Reform Toxic Substances Agency"

"Gov. Jerry Brown's veto of a bill to reform the California Department of Toxic Substances Control is drawing indignation from community groups and state legislators who had pressed for broad changes at the troubled agency.

Legislators said they were deciding whether to reintroduce legislation at year's end. Brown rejected the bill Monday, saying it would delay the department's plans to fix its problems internally.

The bill, SB 812, was intended to address flaws in the agency's oversight of hazardous waste operations, including a growing backlog in renewing facility permits and failure to collect $194 million owed by companies and other parties for cleaning contaminated sites."

Tony Barboza reports for the Los Angeles Times October 1, 2014.