Scrap metal facility fined $145K for failing to control stormwater runoff and violating the Clean Water Act
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that Scrap Management LLC, which does business as Rivers Edge Scrap Management of Kansas City, Kansas, violated the federal Clean Water Act. The agency alleges that the company did not properly control stormwater runoff from its scrap metal recycling and processing facility. This uncontrolled runoff could result in the Kansas River becoming polluted. In addition, Scrap Management failed to perform inspections and did not train employees on stormwater management practices. The company will have to pay $144,500 in civil penalties and correct the violations through implementation of an EPA compliance order.
In a recent quote, David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division, said, “Uncontrolled runoff from scrap yards harms streams and rivers and limits the public’s use and enjoyment of those waters. This settlement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to protecting vital watersheds in urban communities, especially in areas overburdened by pollution.”
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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