Tenborg

FACTS

We reproduce in relevant part the article at issue here, entitled "Hazardous waste chief skirts law." The specific statements that Tenborg identifies in his complaint as defamatory are in boldface: "A contractor paid more than $400,000 annually by San Luis Obispo County's Integrated Waste Management Authority (IWMA) illegally transports hazardous wastes and has exposed taxpayers to huge fines by encouraging member public agencies to ignore state law, a CalCoastNews investigation shows. "Charles Tenborg, the IWMA's hazardous waste disposal site manager, also owns [Eco] Solutions, a private waste disposal and management company recommended as a hazardous waste transporter by the IWMA. "In the mid-1990's, Tenborg was fired for undisclosed reasons from his job with the San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health Certified Unified Program Agency (CUPA), which licenses the five household hazardous waste facilities. "He then formed ECO Solutions. His relationship with the IWMA started in 1997 when he was awarded a no-bid contract by IWMA manager William Worrell for $21,000 a year to run the Household Hazardous waste facilities at Cold Canyon and Chicago Grade…