Buttonwillow[3] is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California.

[note 1] The town was originally called Buena Vista when it was founded in 1895, but the name quickly became Buttonwillow.

A lone buttonbush served as a landmark on an old trans-valley trail and was used by ancient Yokuts Indian as a meeting place, later becoming the site of settlers' stock rodeos.

California Historical Landmark reads: The first United States Post Office at Buttonwillow was established in 1895.

[8] According to the United States Census Bureau, Buttonwillow has an area of 6.9 square miles (18 km2), all of it land.

1, which figured prominently in the Teapot Dome scandal that tarnished the administration of President Warren G. Harding.

Occidental Petroleum bought the reserve from the U.S. Department of Energy in 1998, and is the current primary operator of the oil field.

Buttonwillow has a cold desert climate (BWk) typical of the southern part of California's Central Valley with hot, dry summers and cool winters.

The facility, owned and operated by a company then known as Laidlaw Environmental, which subsequently became Safety-Kleen and was later purchased in 2012 by Clean Harbors, lies eight miles (13 km) west of the community.

[30] Furthermore, Highway 58, a busy road through the community, was used as the main route for trucks from the facility to transport toxic loads.

Given the results of Schweitzer's study, the residents of nearby communities (Buttonwillow, especially) are at the highest risk of experiencing side effects from the spills.

Generally, spills occur as a result of human error, in which the load was packaged incorrectly or the driver experienced a vehicle accident or some other force which allowed for the leaking of toxins.

[citation needed] The tragedy created a bond between these residents, and they began to look to Laidlaw Environmental and the toxins that it released as the root of the issue.

[29] According to Juanita Fernandez, a resident of Buttonwillow, those in attendance at the community meeting which discussed the proposed acts appeared to be businessmen and women who were mostly of a Caucasian background.

While many Buttonwillow residents attempted to participate in meetings, there was no one in attendance who was willing to translate for Spanish speakers.

[32] After the application process, the LAC was told that it had ten weeks to convene and discuss the upcoming December hearing about the proposed expansion of Laidlaw Environmental.

Ten weeks later, in December, Laidlaw Environmental proceeded with the hearing and the Board of Supervisors disbanded the LAC.

While the LAC could have spent time gathering community support and increasing awareness about the toxins, the committee members were instead battling racial discrimination and a debate with the county about Spanish translation.

A local community group, known as Padres Hacia una Vida Mejor, worked for these particular rights.

For example, in their efforts to institute Spanish translation of the EIR and public hearings, the Latino residents isolated themselves from the black and white people in the community.

Many English-speaking residents did not support the translation and felt that speaking English was key if Latinos “wanted to live in [their] country”.

The struggles of the Buttonwillow community still persist, and even as the residents make progress, they also face additional setbacks.

One of the primary myths initially believed by communities facing environmental injustice is that the government is “on our side.” According to Luke W. Cole, this myth is shared more widely among white Americans than among minorities, probably because minorities have historically faced several levels of governmental injustice.