ST. LOUIS — A scrap metal recycling plant in St. Louis faces thousands of dollars in fines and correction costs after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it was potentially polluting the Mississippi River.
The company, SA Recycling LLC, has three facilities in the St. Louis area along the Mississippi River. The specific plant at fault, located in the Patch Neighborhood on Nagel Avenue, reportedly did not control its stormwater runoff and could have possibly polluted the river.
"EPA alleges that SA Recycling failed to comply with certain terms of its Clean Water Act permit, including failure to update and implement practices to prevent runoff of pollution, failure to perform inspections, and failure to train employees on stormwater management practices," the agency said.
According to a release from the EPA, SA Recycling will pay $68,000 in civil penalties for the violations, along with an estimated $44,000 to correct the violations at its facility.
The community surrounding the recycling plant is sensitive to air pollution, lead-based paint, hazardous waste and wastewater discharges, according to the EPA. The community may also be especially vulnerable, facing disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects of nearby industrial operations.
"Uncontrolled runoff from industrial facilities not only harms streams and rivers, but it also limits the public’s use and enjoyment of those waters,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division.
SA Recycling has not returned 5 On Your Side's request for comment as of this article's publication.
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