County Planning Board revokes Modesto scrap metal recycler’s permit

MODESTO (Scrap Monster): Stanislaus County Planning Commission has recommended revocation of land-use permit of Central Valley Recycling’s south Modesto scrap metal recycling facility. The decision was made in a unanimous vote that followed a public hearing on Thursday. The recommendation will now go to the Board of Supervisors.

The decision to revoke the permit is based on the observation that the metal recycler has failed to comply with the conditions of approval, aimed at reducing the impacts on the surrounding residential area. While granting the permit, the Stanislaus County Planning Commission had asked the company to take necessary improvement measures including site pavement, construction of 10-foot-high block wall, installation of storm basin and landscaping along the Bystrum Road on the eastern side of the property.

Angela Freitas, director of county planning and community development noted that the company has made only partial progress and has fallen short in completing these improvements. The Planning Commission had also received a recommendation from the California Rural Legal Assistance to revoke the permit of the facility on complaints by nearby residents on dust, smoke and strong odors coming from the site, Freitas added.

Meantime, the company authorities noted that the it had already started working on the improvement programmes. However, shortage of finance has prevented it from completing those programmes. Central Valley Recycling noted that the market price of scrap metal has plunged to almost one-tenth from $300 per ton to as low as $30 per ton. The improvement programmes are estimated to cost around half-a-million dollars, the company added.

Earlier in 2015, the scrap metal recycler had sought County use permit, due to its location in commercial zone. The application documents had stated that the business had a processing capacity of over 16,000 tons in 2009 and that it has grown considerably from those levels. The new permit could allow processing of up to 30,000 tons of recycled materials per year. The Stanislaus County Planning and Community Development Department had granted the permit subject to certain condition including the authority to review the permit after one year, after thorough assessment of steps taken by the company in compliance with the permit requirements.

Central Valley Recycling had obtained three-year business license for operations at the site in 2009. As the business grew rapidly, neighbors raised complaints that the operations at the recycling center caused serious health hazards to neighboring communities. The scrapped car recycling business later faced county abatement action after an agency investigation confirmed that the operations at the business had caused noise and dust nuisance for nearby residents. Meantime, supervisors had allowed the business to apply for use permit, asking it to minimize effects on the neighborhood.

The recycler takes in junk cars, appliances and steel. Central Valley is also a California Redemption Value recycler, which makes it eligible to accept bottles, cans and other beverage containers. The discarded cars are crushed using a grappler. The facility transports the metal from the crushed vehicles to an Oakland facility, where it is shredded and shipped mainly to Japan.