The San Diego City Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a recycling company in Barrio Logan, alleging the business did unpermitted work that caused excessive noise and pollution near residential neighborhoods.
The lawsuit against SA Recycling LLC, which also named the CEO and CFO as defendants, claims the business illegally expanded its operations to include dismantling and auto wrecking within 150 feet of homes.
“Companies that disregard the City’s laws and public health protections put entire neighborhoods at risk,” said City Attorney Heather Ferbert. “No one should have to live next to unpermitted heavy industrial operations that pollute the air, damage property and harm families.”
Neither the company nor the executives named in the lawsuit could be immediately reached for comment.
According to the lawsuit, the business, located at Main Street and 32nd Street, was licensed in 2009 as a “scrap metal recycling facility.” Over the years, however, inspectors who visited the site said the business was conducting unpermitted grading, electrical work and construction, as well as the illegal operation of a large-scale recycling collection and processing facility.
During one visit, the business was seen recycling construction, demolition and car debris, according to the lawsuit. During another visit, a city investigator reported seeing unpermitted construction of concrete pads, structures and grading.
Other complaints in 2020 and 2021 said the business was creating large amounts of truck noise around 6:15 a.m. and that the company had altered the property’s draining system, which increased and concentrated the company’s surface runoff, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint says that nearby residents, as early as 2019, were complaining that the company was conducting unpermitted recycling and developing at the 3.5-acre property.
“These permits exist to ensure businesses operate safely and responsibly,” said City Councilmember Vivian Moreno. “When companies ignore those rules, they put the entire neighborhood at risk.”