American Iron Receives Go-Ahead for Shredder

American Iron, Minneapolis, received final approval for a metal shredder to be installed at its Minneapolis location, adjacent to its barge-loading operations on the Mississippi River.

The Minneapolis City Council and outgoing Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton approved the permits necessary for the project. The plan previously received permits from the city of Minneapolis, the state Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. (See related story: http://www.recyclingtoday.com/news/news.asp?ID=499 )

The shredder will process mixed scrap metals into various commodities, increasing the volume and quality of recyclables generated by the company.

“Given the history of this project, and despite the nature of today’s metal markets, we are very pleased to enter this new phase of our business,” said John Isaacs, president and CEO of American Iron. “The shredder will increase American Iron’s processing capabilities, allowing us to significantly lower our per-ton fixed costs while providing higher quality products.”

The shredder, slated to be operational by next summer, will by a Svedala 100. The shredder will be able to process 95 tons of metal products per hour.

The proposed shredder has been in the works for more than a decade, with the city of Minneapolis and the company sparring over noise and pollution issues.

While the city has issued a final approval for the shredder, American Iron still needs several simple permits such as permits to pour cement for the shredder pads. A spokesman for American Iron said these permits are "pro forma."