RMR ceases shredding operations in Newport, Kentucky

River Metals Recycling, or RMR, has stopped shredding operations at its Newport, Kentucky, scrapyard, according to local reports. Additionally, Campbell County District Court Judge Cameron Blau determined March 31 that RMR had complied with the terms and timeline outlined in a February 2024 agreement with the city, requiring consolidating its shredding operations to the company’s Cincinnati scrapyard; operating the Newport yard as a collection, processing and transfer site; and installing Fire Rover technology at the Newport facility, which can detect emerging hot spots and reduce fire risk.

The relocation of shredding operations and the dismissal of the court case end nearly four years Newport City staff and residents spent getting RMR to comply with noise regulations that arose from sporadic and sometimes daily explosions at the RMR Newport site, LinkNKY reports.

RMR Regional Manager Neal Coulardot tells LinkNKY that shredding operations in Newport were discontinued as of March 10 and moved to RMR’s new Cincinnati scrap recycling facility.

RMR, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cincinnati-based The David J. Joseph Co. (DJJ), a subsidiary of electric arc furnace steelmaker Nucor Corp. and one of the largest scrap brokers/processors in the United States, acquired the site in Cincinnati from Garden Street Iron & Metal in late 2023.

“RMR appreciates that both the city of Newport and Campbell County agree that it has fully complied with the Order of Diversion," Coulardot says in a statement shared with LinkNKY. "The Newport RMR facility will continue to operate as a collection, processing and transfer site. RMR fulfilled its commitment to the court, the city of Newport and the community.

“RMR has invested millions of dollars to modernize its Cincinnati scrap recycling facility, including the installation of a preshredder, which is state-of-the-art in the metal recycling industry and the first of its kind in this region."

Newport city officials tell LinkNKY they will continue to monitor the site.

“We are optimistic this outcome will benefit nearby residents and improve quality of life in the surrounding area," Newport Assistant City Manager Brian Steffen tells LinkNKY. "While the settlement allows RMR to potentially resume shredding operations at the site, the city will remain vigilant in monitoring their activity to ensure compliance with the agreed order.”

Recycling Today has reached out to Coulardot for additional information about the upgrades made to the Cincinnati scrapyard and RMR’s plans for the Newport yard.