Schnitzer Steel to Pay Half a Million Dollars In Settlement of Air Quality Violations

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Schnitzer Steel, which has renamed itself to Radius Recycling, will pay around half a million dollars to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in settlement of violations of air quality regulations at its metal shredder facility. The settlement also calls for enclosure of the shredder and installation of additional pollution control mechanisms at the facility before 31^st March, 2024.

Kieran O’Donnell, DEQ Office of Compliance and Enforcement manager said that the settlement is part of enforcement action to ensure that metal shredder emissions are properly regulated under the Clean Air Act. The Portland company’s commitment to install an enclosure and emission controls signals a positive change towards protection of human health and the environment.

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The enclosure will be basically a large metal box with an outlet for exhaust gases to exit, the press release noted. The company has been ordered to follow through on the plans to add relevant emission control devices in the next four months.

Schnitzer Steel has been cited several times before for excessive air emissions from shredders at various locations. It must be noted that the company operates over 50 metal recycling plants in the U.S., Canada as well as Peurto Rico.