SDI Business Unit Seeks to Build New Recycled-Content Aluminum Melt Shop in Arizona

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Aluminum Dynamics, Inc.- a business unit of Fort Wayne, Indiana- based Steel Dynamics, Inc. (SDI) plans to build a new recycled-content aluminum melt shop in the state of Arizona. The 200-acre facility is anticipated to create as many as 90 jobs in the region.

For a proposed plant near Benson, Arizona, the business has applied for a Class I Air Quality permit from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). According to an ADEQ notification, the facility is anticipated to convert aluminum scrap into recycled aluminum ingots, which will then be delivered to its mill in Columbus, MS, which is presently undergoing construction. 

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This Monday, the ADEQ hosted a public comment session regarding the proposed facility. The project's opponents pointed out that a plant with the suggested capacity may need close to 5,000 gallons of water per minute. Additionally, it is estimated to release over 10 tons of dangerous air pollutants annually.

A spokesman from ADEQ promised that the agency will frequently test for emissions in the interim. Additionally, a community-wide ambient monitoring network will be set up.

The deadline for public comments is August 21, 2025, at 11:59 PM.