Pennsylvania Agency Approves Permit for Scrap Recycler

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced that it has approved a general operating permit for Clean Metal LLC, a scrap metal recycling facility, to process ash residue from municipal waste incinerators.

Joseph Feola, the DEP’s Southeast regional director, said, “After considerable review and input from local leaders, we have determined that Clean Metal’s operation may be permitted through a general permit for metal recycling facilities that accept scrap metal from municipal incinerators. This permit includes conditions that require Clean Metal to be a good neighbor --- to operate without creating nuisances.”

Clean Metal currently accepts scrap metal from the adjacent American Ref-Fuel municipal waste incineration facility for recycling.

According to its general permit application, Clean Metal proposes to take in about 100 tons a day of scrap metal combined with ash from American Ref-Fuel. No additional sources of ash residue can be accepted without first obtaining approval from the department.

The entire waste process, including ash storage, will take place inside an existing building on the site, which will be renovated. In addition to renovating the building, the site will be enhanced by adding landscaping buffers, re-grading the land, incorporating drainage improvements; re-surfacing access roadways to minimize dust and sediment tracking from truck traffic; and constructing a tire cleaner.