One of the two owners of a metal salvage and recycling yard adjacent to Jordan High School in Watts was ordered Monday to remain jailed in lieu of $1 million bail in connection with charges that they illegally disposed of hazardous waste — some of which was allegedly deposited on the grounds of the school.

Superior Court Judge Terry Bork noted that Matthew Weisenberg, 37 of Los Angeles, and Gary Weisenberg, 78, of Encino, were not allowed to accept any gasoline at the business if the containers had not been punctured or cut as a condition of the pair’s release on their own recognizance following a grand jury indictment charging them with 25 counts, and that a recent investigation by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control determined that containers of acetylene — a highly flammable gas — were on the property at S&W Atlas Iron and Metal Corp.

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The two were initially ordered Thursday to remain jailed without bail pending Monday’s bail hearing, but the judge noted that Gary Weisenberg’s bail was set Friday at $100,000 after an emergency petition was filed seeking his release from county jail on “urgent medical grounds.” He was released Saturday on bond, according to jail records.

Matthew Weisenberg’s attorney, Jacob Gluck, unsuccessfully asked the judge to also set the same bail amount for his client, saying that he was concerned that the $1 million amount was “simply unachievable” and that his client has “received the message about the importance of compliance.” He noted that there were a number of friends and community members in the downtown Los Angeles courtroom to support Matthew Weisenberg.

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The judge ordered the company not to receive any loads of scrap metal until he signs revised protocols, saying that he hopes it can be done “expeditiously.”

The company will also be prohibited from accepting any gas cylinders or tanks and will be subject to regular, unannounced visits by the Department of Toxic Substances Control, with the judge saying that he needs “greater regulatory oversight” being conducted at the facility, the judge said.

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“They can run a business with guidance of what is expected of them,” Bork said of the upcoming new protocols for the business’ operation.

The charges against the Weisenbergs and the company include knowingly disposing hazardous waste at a site with no permit, deposit of hazardous waste, failure to maintain or operate a facility to minimize the possibility of a fire or explosion, and public nuisance.

In 2023, then-District Attorney George Gascón announced the initial criminal filing, with a grand jury indictment being handed up last year shortly after an Aug. 12 explosion occurred at the property as students arrived at the nearby school for their first day of classes. No one was injured in the fiery blast, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

Soil samples taken from an area at the high school adjacent to the Atlas facility “showed excessive concentrations of lead and zinc,” according to the D.A.’s office, which alleged that samples taken at Atlas found excessive concentrations of seven metals.

Prosecutors also contend that metal debris believed to have originated from the Atlas facility was found on the school grounds.

In a statement released on behalf of the company and the Weisenbergs in 2023, Gluck said that they were “disappointed to see the charges.”

“Atlas is actively working with the many public agencies involved and is actually moving close to a global resolution,” Gluck said then. “The district attorney declined to engage with us and chose instead to file charges… We will defend this case vigorously.”

The criminal case marked the latest legal entanglement for the company, which was sued in 2020 by the Los Angeles Unified School District. The federal lawsuit alleges hazardous substances, waste and fumes from the salvage yard were endangering students and faculty at Jordan High. The suit even contended that a pair of explosions in 2002 sent metal shrapnel raining onto the campus.

“The young students at Jordan High School should never have been put in harm’s way,” new District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement released Thursday after the Weisenbergs were taken into custody.

“This case is progressing toward justice for the children, educators and community members who were endangered by this explosion. No business has the right to recklessly jeopardize public safety, and we will continue to hold those responsible accountable.”