Golden State’s DTSC agency wants postfire report from shredder site.

The Sacramento, California-based Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has ordered the operators of the Sims Metal auto shredding facility in Redwood City, California, “to determine the extent of toxic pollution coming from their facility and to clean it up.”

The attention to the Redwood City shredding plant comes after a March 9 fire at the yard. “The investigation and cleanup evaluation will include recent and historical release at the facility, including any impacts from [the] March 9 fire,” writes the DTSC.

The DTSC has undertaken a consistent and sometimes high-visibility campaign to scrutinize the air and water emissions of auto shredding facilities, to the extent that the issue is front and center on the home page of its website. At times, its scrutiny has been focused on the Schnitzer Steel Industries yard in Oakland, California, or the SA Recycling yard near Los Angeles.

On at least one occasion, recycling companies and their advocates have successfully challenged orders or actions taken by the DTSC.

The DTSC says it is concerned about potential health impacts on people living and working near the Sims Redwood City facility. The 12-acre recycling and shredding operation also “is adjacent to Redwood Creek, a public trail and two islands that are part of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge,” DTSC writes, adding that Redwood Creek leads into San Francisco Bay.

“Metal recycling facilities have drawn our attention because of the potential exposure from harmful materials coming from these types of operations,” says DTSC Director Dr. Meredith Williams.

The agency describes the Redwood City shredder yard as one where Sims “receives, sorts, separates and stores bulk metal scrap for sale and export and operates a conveyor that deposits the material onto ships.”

The agency cites concerns about “elevated levels of lead, zinc and cadmium both on- and off-site.” In 2019, the DTSC says its inspectors “discovered hazardous waste levels of toxic chemicals in several places within facility grounds. Inspectors also found buildup of light fibrous materials, a hazardous substance, on the facility’s pavement and near its operations.”

Regarding its latest enforcement order, the DTSC says “the named parties must meet certain deadlines and submit required investigation reports to the DTSC, including a plan for cleaning up contamination.” The DTSC says it also “will notify the surrounding community so residents can weigh in on the proposed cleanup plan.”

The company says the HC Lift Deck is its solution to maintenance dilemmas faced by transfer station operators nationwide.

Fairbanks Scales Inc., a scale and weighing equipment company based in Overland Park, Kansas, has announced the launch of the HC Lift Deck modular truck scales, a truck weighing solution for waste transfer applications.   

Fairbanks says the HC Lift Deck is its solution to maintenance dilemmas faced by transfer station operators nationwide. The HC Lift Deck’s weighing modules may be individually lifted and removed with a front loader or other lightweight lifting equipment. Recalibrating the scale also isn’t required when a module is set back in place. Simply reset the module and get right back to weighing.   

Some of the features and benefits that the scales offer include: 

a removable deck for timely access to clean and maintain pits;  

a dual remote display so loader operators can distribute the load evenly in trailers while maximizing each load before leaving the tunnel;  

narrow modules to ensure each tire has its own scale platform and to keep the weight manageable so each platform can be removed using simple equipment;   

self-centering cones that allow the decks to be reset in place without any additional tools and to ensure no need for resetting the calibration;  

remotely located electronics that keep the electronics out of the pit, preventing rodents and trash contamination from damaging them and making cleanout easier; and  

customizable configurations to accommodate the different truck/trailers used at a facility, but with a minimal amount of scale surface area to keep maintenance and cleaning as efficient as possible. 

The company says the acquisition dramatically expands its footprint on Chicago’s south side.

LRS, a waste diversion, recycling and portable services provider based in Rosemont, Illinois, has announced the acquisition of Auburn Disposal, a third-generation-family-owned provider of waste, recycling and roll-off containers serving commercial customers in Chicago's Southland communities. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the acquisition is effective immediately.  

According to a news release from LRS, Auburn Disposal was founded in 1941 by the Petersen family and has served as a dependable, responsive, customer-focused, waste services provider to about 3,000 commercial customers. Founding family members Kirk, Todd and Ryan Petersen will serve in management positions at LRS and help densify LRS' footprint in the area.  

"LRS is proud to expand our Chicago-area roots, particularly in serving the vibrant neighborhoods and communities that form the fabric of the City's historic Southland region," says Alan T. Handley, president and CEO of LRS. "I couldn't be more excited to have Kirk and his family join the LRS team. Kirk's intellect, customer-first approach and operational prowess will be extremely accretive to LRS."  

Auburn Disposal customers will benefit from expanded services, streamlined operations and the same commitment to an exceptional customer experience.   

"LRS continues its track record as a primary acquirer of choice, providing entrepreneurs and long-standing family-run waste, recycling and portables businesses with the right partnership to ensure their company's history, legacy, and customer focus remain an important part of the business post-transaction," Handley says.   

In 2021, LRS successfully completed 22 acquisitions across the Midwest and the South-Central United States. Most recently, the company acquired Junoll Services, a roll-off and transfer station services company based in South Bend, Indiana. 

The company’s new facility in Liberty, South Carolina, will recycle postindustrial scrap plastics.

ACI Plastics, a thermoplastics processor and recycler with headquarters in Flint, Michigan, has established operations in South Carolina’s Pickens County to recycle postindustrial and preconsumer scrap from molders throughout the Southeast. The company’s $4 million investment will create 21 new jobs, according to a news release from the office of South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.

For more than 35 years, ACI Plastics has been known for its separation technologies for paint removal and instrument panels, as well as density, electrostatic and optical separation. 

The site, at 225 Ruhamah Rd. in Liberty, South Carolina, initially will provide size reduction (granulation) and proprietary separation processes. ACI plans to add blending, density separation, pelletizing and postconsumer processing capabilities at the facility.

ACI Plastics President Scott Melton says, “The 138,000-square-foot building on 51 acres will allow us to significantly grow over the next decade. The access to a solid workforce, the Port of Charleston and nearby customers made this investment a key part of ACI’s future.”

“Pickens County Council is proud to welcome ACI Plastics South, the industry leader in separating even the most difficult plastics, to our county,” Pickens County Council Chairman Chris Bowers says. “Our skilled local workforce is consistently an asset sought out by top-tier companies such as ACI, and we are pleased that ACI found the perfect site location to meet their needs here in the Liberty community.”

ACI previously partnered with Los Angeles-based PreZero US, the recycling arm of German retailer Schwarz Group, to operate a site in Westminster, South Carolina, to recycle polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) scrap recovered from mixed rigid plastics bales. That relationship ended last year, and PreZero US announced its plans to invest $11.5 million in the Westminster plant, formerly owned by ACI, to bring its processing capacity up to 40,000 tons of plastic scrap per year.

The company offers three new -7 Series wheel loaders in the United States and Canada. 

Doosan Infracore North America, Suwanee, Georgia, has launched three models of its -7 Series wheel loaders in the United States and Canada. These new 200-size-class machines include many of the same features as the larger models and are now available at Doosan dealerships.  

Similar to the -7 Series wheel loaders launched in spring 2021, this next generation of Doosan wheel loaders offers redesigned cabs with comfort features, increased bucket capacities and fuel-saving technologies.   

The three new models include the DL200-7, DL220-7 and DL250-7. The company says they are smaller than the models launched last year. They have standard bucket capacities between 2.6 and 3.3 cubic yards. All three new models are available with a high-lift option for additional dump height and reach.  

“We’re excited to offer a -7 Series iteration of our popular 200 size class wheel loaders in North America,” says Aaron Kleingartner, product and dealer marketing manager, Doosan Infracore North America. “These are among our most popular wheel loader models because of their versatility. It’s quite common for customers with these machines to purchase a hydraulic quick coupler for fast and easy attachment changes.”  

Each model of the -7 Series wheel loader can be equipped with an optional Transparent Bucket, a Doosan-exclusive technology that offers a supplemental view from a monitor inside the cab to improve operator visibility and productivity. The Transparent Bucket has two cameras with protective guarding, one mounted high and one mounted low on the front of the machine.   

“We anticipate that the Transparent Bucket will be a popular option for our Doosan -7 Series wheel loaders,” Kleingartner says. “Another new technology available in our newest Doosan wheel loaders is Situation Awareness Technology (SAT). The technology helps save fuel by automatically adjusting the engine output in real-time to the needs of the drivetrain and hydraulics. It lowers fuel consumption without reducing performance.”   

According to a news release from Doosan, the smaller models are most commonly used on construction sites, specifically for loading, grading and site prep work. They’re also operated in scrap and recycling applications where they may be paired with a grapple attachment for handling bulk materials. Grounds maintenance companies often prefer this size of wheel loader for clearing parking lots with a snow pusher or a bucket for placing snow in trucks for removal.  

For more information about the wheel loaders, click here.