You Can’t Fight City Hall

Truer words were never said, at least for a small scrap metal recycling facility operating in Batavia, NY.

Over the past two years Superior Metal Recycling, located in Batavia, NY, has had to contend with city officials over the operation of his facility.

Eugene Arnold, the owner of the three-acre scrap yard, has been in operation for the past four years, says that since purchasing the land on which the company operates the facility, about two years ago, the city, as well as some residents adjacent to his yard, have filed numerous complaints over his company’s operations.

Despite the city filing complaints over the operations, Arnold notes that a number of inspections conducted by both the New York Department of Conservation and the county Health Board the scrap yard has passed with only minimal changes required.

While the scrap yard has run through a phalanx of opposition from various local politicians, the intensity of the opposition ramped up in late December.

In the most recent complaints, the city has accused Superior Metal of having too much exterior storage.

According to local press, the company was fined $5,000 and Arnold was ordered to spend 30 days in jail for violating city zoning regulations. He is free pending an appeal the company filed.

Arnold points out that as of Jan. 11 the company is 100 percent in compliance. “I can’t receive one ounce of metal. Four months ago we had 10 million pounds of scrap on our land. Today, we may have 40,000 pounds of scrap on site.

While the company is still contesting the violations, Arnold says the company has located a larger facility outside the city that will allow the company to conduct business. He hopes to start taking in material at the new site by the end of this month.