Iron & Metals Company File Consent Decree

Seattle Iron and Metals Corp. (SIMC) and an environmental group has filed a consent decree in the U.S. District Court resolving a case pertaining to Washington’s Duwamish River and the surrounding community and pollution problems allegedly traced to the scrap metal company.

According to Recycling Today, the settlement requires SIMC to undertake more than $1 million worth of expenses designed to control aerial pollution, wastewater discharge and stormwater discharge. The case includes claims brought under the federal Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by the organization Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.

According to AP News, SIMC has undertaken cleanup measures and the consent decree requires another $200,000 in expenses in addition to the payment by SIMC of legal costs incurred by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.

The settlement includes measures to reduce air pollution into the surrounding community from burning materials and from dust emanating from the company’s auto shredding plant.

According to Recycling Today, the environmental group also accused the scrap firm of discharging industrial wastewater and stormwater into the Duwamish River.

According to the Puget Soundkeepers Alliance, data from SIMC’s monitoring reports have indicated numerous violations of Clean Water Act permit limits including discharge of toxic heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons and PCBs.

SIMC has implemented additional pollution control measures in response to its violations and during the course of litigation, they include: upgrades to its main wastewater treatment system; installing two modular wetland stormwater treatment systems to treat stormwater runoff; the installation of a heat monitoring and fire suppression system to address onsite fires; the paving of a dirt lot and more.