EPA regs close the last lead smelter in the US

[Capt Worley PE]

HERCULANEUM • About 145 employees of the Doe Run lead smelter have learned they will lose their jobs at the end of December because of the plant’s closure, the Doe Run Co. said Wednesday. An additional 73 contractor jobs also will be eliminated.

The job cuts were expected. The plant, which has operated for more than a century and is the lone remaining lead smelter in the United States, announced in 2010 that it will cease operations at the end of this year.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the company “made a business decision” to shut down the smelter instead of installing pollution control technologies needed to reduce sulfur dioxide and lead emissions as required by the Clean Air Act.


The Doe Run Co. announced last year that it had dropped plans to build a new lead processing facility in Herculaneum that would have used a new, cleaner lead production technology. The company cited the

$100 million project as too financially risky.

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/doe-run-workers-to-be-cut-at-end-of-december/article_56182c9f-0413-59a5-865e-e864715f3c2d.html

 

[Master slacker]

HERCULANEUM • About 145 employees of the Doe Run lead smelter have learned they will lose their jobs at the end of December because of the plant’s closure, the Doe Run Co. said Wednesday. An additional 73 contractor jobs also will be eliminated.

The job cuts were expected. The plant, which has operated for more than a century and is the lone remaining lead smelter in the United States, announced in 2010 that it will cease operations at the end of this year.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the company “made a business decision” to shut down the smelter instead of installing pollution control technologies needed to reduce sulfur dioxide and lead emissions as required by the Clean Air Act.


The Doe Run Co. announced last year that it had dropped plans to build a new lead processing facility in Herculaneum that would have used a new, cleaner lead production technology. The company cited the

$100 million project as too financially risky.

 

[knight1fox3]

Firefly!!! lusone:

 

[Sapper PE LS]

Just curious, but is this really a bad thing? A couple hundred people lose their low income jobs but gain health by not working with a toxic substance, the environment suffers less from the pollutants if the smelter, and honestly it is probably being bought cheaper from offshore anyway whether we like it or not. I kind of wonder how solvent this plant was to begin with that they couldn't finance a project that on the face of it seems like a small price to pay, once, for the good of a whole great many of people. Not saying that it isn't a bad thing, but that article doesn't make me want to rend my clothes and weep for them. It just seems like another business model that has bitten the dust due to lack of need and lack of desire to actually evolve.

 

[Dleg]

In my opinion, the only bad thing about this is what it implies about the bigger picture of environmental and public health: U.S. companies would rather buy their lead from factories in China (or wherever) where there are far less environmental regulations.

As long as we allow trade to be conducted without regard to the environmental practices in other countries, U.S. environmental policy will result in industry fleeing our shores. I don't think this is right, because I agree with Sapper and environmental and public health protection is my career. But we can't have one (environmental regulation of industry) without the other (trade restrictions) and expect any outcome different than that above ^^.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Just curious, but is this really a bad thing?

Yeah, it is. It is another core manufacturing industry that has left our shores.

And the only reason it is leaving is because of tightening emissions regs. I think we're well past the point on diminsihing returns when it comes to tightening regs.

Ancilliary question: now that lead smelting is all overseas, who controls our ammo supply now?

 

[engineergurl]

2 points...

I had the same thought about the ammo

Eventually no other country's will be able to produce agricultural products and the US will rise again with our clean living...

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Eventually no other country's will be able to produce agricultural products and the US will rise again with our clean living...

Until they (and this is bandied around from time to time) ban nitrate fertilizers.

Then sunny May-hee-co will rise to prominence!

 

[rktman]

Just curious, but is this really a bad thing?

Yeah, it is. It is another core manufacturing industry that has left our shores.

And the only reason it is leaving is because of tightening emissions regs. I think we're well past the point on diminsihing returns when it comes to tightening regs.

Ancilliary question: now that lead smelting is all overseas, who controls our ammo supply now?

I have distant friends that work there and they would say that yes it is a bad thing. The area has very limited job opportunities and these jobs were better than average pay.

 

[Supe]

There's a "whoever smelt it dealt it" joke in here somewhere.

 

[Master slacker]

^^^ :banned: