Fixing DTSC’s Foundation

The Department of Toxic Substances Control's mission is to protect the public from toxic harm by cleaning up contaminated properties, regulating facilities that handle hazardous waste and enforcing California's tough hazardous waste laws. The public put their trust in us to do this, and we take this responsibility very seriously.

DTSC has identified the issues that threaten the Department's ability to achieve its mission and is committed to owning up to the problems and taking the steps necessary to ensure they are fixed once and for all.

Part of the reason some of these problems have existed for so long is that the Department failed to put in place the proper procedures and safeguards that might have prevented them from arising in the first place. So in early 2012, DTSC launched an initiative, called "Fixing the Foundation," to go back and establish the operational systems needed to maintain effective programs and ensure accountability. It is critical that the Department addresses these systemic issues so that we don't keep passing them on to future administrations.