Sims Metal Management Ltd., with corporate headquarters in Sydney and New York City, has announced restructuring initiatives that it says are designed to streamline Sims Recycling Solutions, its electronics recycling business.

The review has determined that certain loss-making assets are outside of the company’s strategic long-term interests. These operations include a substantial portion of Sims Recycling Solutions operations in the United Kingdom and all of the company’s operations in Canada. Legislation and market dynamics in these two countries have resulted in these businesses being commercially unattractive to the company going forward, according to Sims Metal Management.

Sims Metal Management says it will redirect its capital and resources to other portions of the global businesses that are more attractive as it continues to develop its platform for Sims Recycling Solutions’ customer relationships worldwide.

Sims Metal Management’ U.K. metals operations, its refrigeration recycling and IT asset management solutions will not be affected by the restructuring activities, according to the company, which adds that its Sims Recycling Solutions operations outside the U.K. and Canada also are not affected by the restructuring activities.

The Sims Recycling Solutions’ website lists Canadian locations in Langley, British Columbia; Mississauga, Ontario; and Laval, Quebec. In the United Kingdom, the company lists locations in Cheshire, Dumfriesshire, Glasgow, Gwent, Middlesex, Stockton-on-Tees and Warwickshire.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has announced that Global Refining Group Inc., a sister company of ABC Recycling, headquartered in Kenbridge, Virginia, will invest $4.2 million to build a catalytic convertor recycling operation in the state’s Lunenburg County. ABC Recycling recycles vehicles, scrap metals and catalytic converters.

 McAuliffe says, “This project is a great example of a spinoff company resulting from business success that will bring new jobs and investment to Lunenburg County. The rapid growth of ABC Recycling created the demand for the establishment of Global Refining Group, which will take the recycling process to the next step and become the premier East Coast location for catalytic convertor recycling.

He adds, “We welcome our newest corporate partner to Virginia, and celebrate 30 new jobs in a region that continues to recover economically.”

“Lunenburg County is a great fit for Global Refining Group’s new catalytic convertor recycling operation,” says Maurice Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade. “In addition to its close proximity to sister company ABC Recycling, the county also offered an industrial building that has been recently retrofitted, allowing Global Refining Group to make some modifications and become operational in a shorter timeframe. We look forward to the company’s future success in Virginia.”

Robert Szafranski, CEO of Global Refining Group, says, “Global Refining Group has chosen Kenbridge as its new home. Though other locations were considered, it was the hard work and diligence of Lunenburg County, the Town of Kenbridge, the Tobacco Commission, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia Department of Business Assistance and the governor that made this decision possible. The support that these offices have offered our company shows their interest lies not only in the growth of our company but the community as a whole. For this we thank them and look forward to a successful start in Lunenburg County.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Lunenburg County, the town of Kenbridge, and Virginia’s Growth Alliance to secure the project. McAuliffe approved a $100,000 grant from the Governor’s Opportunity Fund to assist Lunenburg County with the project. The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission approved $145,000 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds for the project.

The company may be eligible to receive benefits from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. Through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program, the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity will provide funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities.

“Our Board of Supervisors has enjoyed working with ABC Recycling since they opened in Kenbridge in 2006,” says Edward Pennington, chairman of the Lunenburg County Board of Supervisors. “As successful businessmen, we are delighted that Mr. Szafranski and his partners have chosen our community to continue their expanding operations. We foresee the addition of other associated companies and more job creation as a result of Global Refining Group, locating in Lunenburg. Our community appreciates the efforts of the state agencies, the VGA, the Tobacco Commission and the Governor’s office to make this announcement possible.”

Marion Iron Co., a Marion, Iowa-based company that processes scrap metal and markets new steel products, has broken ground on a new scrap metal facility in the city. The company says it hopes to relocate from its existing 6 acre site to the new location, which is about 18 acres, by Oct. 15, 2014.

Jim Brown, president of Marion Iron, says his company decided that, after operating at its existing location since 1937, the new location would offer new opportunities.

Brown says the city of Marion will construct a roundabout at the company’s existing site, which is in a commercial zone.

Brown says the company plans to build two 15,000-square-foot buildings on the new site as well as an 80-foot scale. The new site also will have a drive-through nonferrous facility. The new facility will service industrial and retail business at the site.

Additionally, Brown says the company is looking to add additional operations at the new site, though he is quick to say that installing an auto shredder is not among the options.

Brown adds that the new Marion location is ideal in that it is near three steel mills, which allows the company to efficiently and cost-effectively transport material via truck.

The new location will not have any rail sidings. 

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says it has issued a civil penalty to Pacific Recycling Inc. for failing to implement an action plan to control stormwater pollution from its Eugene, Oregon, facility. The penalty includes a $9,600 assessment for the violation and $318,086 economic benefit assessment, which represents an estimate of the costs avoided and economic advantage Pacific Recycling gained by failing to install its proposed treatment system in a timely fashion.

In a letter sent by the Oregon DEQ to Pacific Recycling, the agency notes that in a 2011 Action Plan, Pacific Recycling said it would to install additional stormwater treatment. At that time, the company estimated the treatment would be installed by August 2012. In subsequent Action Plans developed in response to additional benchmark exceedances, Pacific Recycling stated that it intended to implement treatment, the Oregon DEQ asserts.

The DEQ says that if Pacific Recycling implements the treatment system, the agency will recalculate the economic benefit as a “delayed” rather than “avoided” expense, which will significantly reduce the total penalty assessment. Elevated pollutants in the facility’s stormwater discharge include copper, zinc, lead, total suspended solids, oil and grease, the Oregon DEQ reports.

According to the state agency, the company’s discharge has repeatedly exceeded benchmark s for these pollutants, but Pacific Recycling has not implemented treatment to reduce these pollutants as required by its industrial stormwater permit.

Mark Losco, environmental manager for Pacific Recycling, says that the company has been working very aggressively to complete a modular stormwater system. He expects to have the system done within the next few months. The company has been undergoing some significant work to complete an auto shredderr at the site. 

While acknowledging the company was not able to meet its initial deadline, Losco believes that the company will see a reduction in the fine. 

The Oregon DEQ also cited the company – without penalty – for repeatedly failing, since 2008, to submit action plans to reduce elevated pollutants in the facility’s stormwater discharge in a timely fashion and repeatedly failing to employ erosion control measures.

Along with the penalty, DEQ ordered Pacific Recycling to complete these actions:

• submit a revised stormwater pollution control plan by July 14, 2014,;
• install erosion and sediment control measures by Aug. 1, 2014; and
• implement treatment to reduce stormwater pollution to acceptable levels by Oct. 1, 2014.

Pacific Recycling has the opportunity to appeal the penalty and order.