Brownfield Redevelopment in the Age of the California Housing Crisis

Katherine M. Butler, MPH is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in public health and environmental justice. She upholds her commitment to strong enforcement, transparent government, and collaborative solutions for the department’s decision making to protect California’s environment and communities.

For nearly two years, Katherine served as Deputy Director of the Hazardous Waste Management Program. In that role, she fostered strong partnerships and created a solution-oriented culture that led to action on several of the most complex long-standing permitting decisions facing the department. She has been at the helm of planning activities to re-envision hazardous waste management practices that are more sustainable and health protective.

Prior to joining DTSC, Katherine was the Senior Health Deputy in the Office of County Supervisor Janice Hahn, where she established a groundbreaking environmental justice and climate health program to improve health outcomes in pollution-burdened areas of Los Angeles. During the most challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as the Personal Protective Equipment Lead for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where she demonstrated her commitment to public health and local communities.