July/August 2008
Gulf Coast Convention Addresses Globalization, Theft
More than 400 attendees—including 60 exhibitors—worked as hard as they played at the ReMA Gulf Coast Chapter's annual summer convention and exposition, held June 19-21 at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio.
A keynote commodities panel discussed scrap's increasing globalization. Moderated by Jim Lawrence of ELG Metals (Houston), the panel featured experts in metals, electronics, rubber, and paper. As new trade and lobbying groups form, as smaller players become exporters due to widespread container shipments of ferrous, and as Japanese EAF steelmakers begin buying stock in U.S. scrap companies, the steel market can officially be deemed global, said Platts Steel Markets Daily Managing Editor Joe Innace. Countries like India and China—major scrap importers that typically pay cash—will continue to be major players in the global metals picture, added Matthew Lerner, Platts' metals group markets editor. Addressing Chinese claims that the quality of U.S. copper scrap is declining, Marsha Cooperider of Metrade (St. Louis) urged recyclers not to "allow [their] quality standards to drop just because someone will take it." Andrew Wilke of ELG Metals (Houston) predicted that global markets for nickel and stainless would continue to be strong, influenced by such factors as increased stainless production, predominately in China.
Paul Adamson of Round 2 Technologies (Austin, Texas) described his company's practice of keeping CRTs and mercury-containing devices in the United States for recycling. Though costs to process overseas may be lower, he said, the processes are "not as robust." Joel Litman of Texas Recycling/Surplus (Dallas) said recycled paper remains relatively low in value and expensive to collect, but "the demand for 'green' [paper] goods is increasing." He wondered whether consumers are willing to pay more for recycled content, though. Mike Hinsey of Granutech-Saturn Systems (Grand Prairie, Texas) addressed tire recycling in Asia. Japan is currently focusing on tire-derived fuel, he said, but it has seen recent growth in granulation. South Korea parallels Japan in this regard, Hinsey said, while China is focusing predominately on granulation and tire reclamation.
At a combined general session and board meeting, the chapter elected the following new officers to serve two-year terms from 2008 to 2010:
President: Warner Key, ESCO Marine (Brownsville, Texas);
First Vice President: Gene Day, Hobbs Iron & Metal (Hobbs, N.M.);
Second Vice President: Veronica Costanza, All Scrap Metals (Kenner, La.); and
Secretary/Treasurer: Mel Wright, Wright's Scrap Metals (Beaumont, Texas).
At the convention's closing banquet, the chapter presented its most prestigious honor, the Israel Proler Award, to Marienne Galamba-Brown, formerly of Galamba Metals Group (Kansas City, Mo.), for her long-term contributions to ReMA and the scrap recycling industry. Galamba-Brown joined her family's company in 1987, going on to serve as its vice president of marketing and industrial relations. She joined ReMA's Mid-America Chapter in 1992, serving first as secretary and then as treasurer, vice president, and president. She also chaired and served on several ReMA national committees, including communications and government affairs. In 2005, she helped establish the Kansas Organization of Recycling with other key members of Kansas' recycling community. Galamba-Brown was also a founding member of Missouri's state recycling association, Recycle Missouri, on whose board she served until her retirement in 2007.
The convention featured several discussions of material theft, including a briefing by Bart Seitz of Baker Botts (Washington, D.C.) and ReMA's Scott Horne and Jonathan Levy on the latest developments in tag-and-hold and similar legislation and an update from ReMA's Chuck Carr on what the association is doing to address the issue.
The chapter's largest-ever Recycling Research Foundation William A. Bushman Golf Tournament drew 131 participants. Its fourth annual clambake reception featured spectacular views of the Central Texas Hill Country and a mariachi band.
Safety Council Meeting Has Record Turnout
More than 120 safety professionals from around the country attended the ReMA Safety Council's spring meeting, May 12-15 in St. Louis, resulting in the meeting's largest attendance yet. Participants had networking opportunities such as a happy-hour reception and a nighttime Cardinals game at St. Louis' Busch Stadium, but the offerings with the most take-home value were the safety workshops, breakout groups, and presentations.
Addressing workplace discrimination, Seyfarth Shaw (Chicago) labor attorney Mark Lies encouraged employers to avoid "negligent hiring" by conducting background checks to learn of an employee's criminal record before it becomes a problem. Lies recommended that safety professionals "err on the side of caution" when handling potentially disruptive workplace behavior and "remember [your] legal obligations to provide employees with a safe place to work" while recognizing the disruptive employees' rights as well. He listed several warning factors that might indicate a violent employee, instructing employers to establish procedures to properly investigate and discipline threats and violent acts in the workplace.
In his presentation on federal Department of Transportation regulations and truck safety, Massachusetts state trooper Sgt. Norman Anger reminded safety professionals to be vigilant in ensuring that their drivers do not exceed their 14-hour maximum on-duty time, which includes an 11-hour maximum driving time. "If the driver is behind the wheel, it counts as driving time," Anger noted. "If he's sitting in the cab waiting [for the trailer] to be loaded, that's driving time." Driver fatigue is an increasing hazard on the road, Anger said, and he urged managers to meticulously record the times that drivers report for duty and leave each day. Tom Herod, ReMA's transportation safety and training manager, also discussed truck safety, stressing that many transportation-related injuries occur when the truck is not moving. "We need to be training our drivers to be safe in and out of the truck cab," Herod said, noting such potential driver injuries as slips, trips, and falls from the cab or roll-off container.
Dana Borowka, founder and CEO of Lighthouse Consulting Services (Santa Monica, Calif.), described ways to enhance communication in the workplace by understanding the dynamics between individual personalities. In an interactive session, Borowka had the safety professionals work in groups to characterize their relationships with their co-workers and points of disagreement. Conflicting co-workers must understand why they don't get along before they can reach a positive outcome, he explained.
In the face of the industry's rapid consolidation, , the environmental, health, and safety director for PSC Metals (Cleveland), addressed the safety challenges associated with mergers and acquisitions. "A yard's safety director might often feel like he's 'holding up' an acquisition," Forystek said. "Our work—which includes equipment and driver reviews and [compiling drivers' safety] records—often takes longer than 60 days," which is the amount of time an acquisition might otherwise take to close. Safety and environmental concerns can often delay or even change the price of acquisitions, Forystek said.
Depending on company size, a scrapyard's safety director can have responsibility for its environmental issues as well. Fred Cornell, safety, health, environment, and community director for the east region of Sims Metal Management (Jersey City, N.J.), offered an introduction to relevant environmental laws and regulations such as the Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Water Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act. Stormwater is one of the industry's biggest environmental challenges to date, Cornell said, emphasizing the importance of maintaining water quality, implementing a pollution prevention plan, and implementing best management practices.
The next ReMA Safety Council meeting will be Nov. 4-6 in St. Louis.
Appeals Court Will Review Tag-And Hold Legislation
The Tennessee Scrap Recyclers Association suffered a minor setback when a federal judge refused to grant a preliminary injunction to block the implementation of a Memphis, Tenn., ordinance requiring scrap metal dealers to tag and hold certain metals for 10 days after purchase. ReMA disagrees with the rationale behind the ruling and supports TSRA's intention to file an appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals as soon as possible. The district court's ruling, though disappointing, paves the way for the nation's judicial system at the appellate level to protect the constitutional rights of not only scrap recyclers, but also individuals who legitimately sell recyclable materials.
Contact Danielle Waterfield at 202/662-8516 or daniellewaterfield@isri.org.
Ohio Passes Material Theft Legislation
The Ohio House and Senate agreed on compromise legislation in late May that prohibits any municipality from enforcing or enacting a tag-and-hold provision on the sale of scrap. The legislation had stalled months ago due to differences between the House and Senate versions concerning preemption of local laws and ordinances. ReMA's Ohio chapters worked diligently to achieve this legislative victory.
Contact Billy Johnson at 202/662-8548 or billyjohnson@isri.org.
ISRI Testifies Before Congress On Electronics Recycling
Eric Harris, ReMA's associate counsel/director of governmental and international affairs, testified before the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology April 30. The hearing examined the challenges of recycling household electronic equipment as the nation prepares to switch from analog to digital television broadcasts on Feb. 17, 2009. This switch could send large volumes of older televisions into the recycling stream. Chairman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) and members of the committee were interested in how research and technology could improve the sustainability of e-recycling.
Harris testified there is still a net negative cost to responsibly recycle leaded glass from cathode ray tubes in computer monitors and televisions and to sort and separate commingled scrap plastic resins into high-grade specifications. He suggested that the Technology Committee target research and development dollars to develop new end-use markets for CRT glass and for mixed scrap plastic. Also, investment incentives for new,
climate-friendly recycling equipment designed to increase recycling yields could inject investor confidence into the electronics recycling market, he said. Read the full testimony at www.isri.org/testimony/science/.
Contact Eric Harris at 202/662-8514 or ericharris@isri.org.
ISRI Safety Staff Issues Radiation Flash Cards
The recycling industry faces the continual threat of radioactive materials accidentally entering the scrap stream. To help scrapyard employees learn what to look for and what to do when they encounter radioactive scrap, the ReMA Radiation Task Force and ReMA safety staff have developed a series of radiation flash cards. ReMA mailed the first edition in June to all member company facilities and will mail occasional updates as they are developed. The first set and one set of each update is free as a benefit of ReMA membership. Additional sets are $25 each.
Contact Olga O'Connor at 202/662-8521 or olgaoconnor@isri.org.
ISRI Alerts Municipal Officials Of Materials Thefts
ISRI issued a news release in mid-May urging municipal officials to be aware of the growing theft of ferrous metals belonging to municipal governments and to secure these materials from thieves. The release highlights ReMA's Theft Alert system and the industry's cooperation with local law enforcement agencies on material thefts. The release is generating calls from the media that allow ReMA to further reinforce the industry's position as part of the solution to the material theft problem.
Contact Bruce Savage at 202/662-8510 or brucesavage@isri.org.
ISRI In Brief
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In June, Billy Johnson, ReMA's director of political affairs, helped judge the White House Closing the Circle Awards, which reward and promote innovative recycling, waste reduction, and sustainability efforts by the federal government. ReMA has helped judge the program, along with representatives of other recycling and environmental organizations, for several years.
Contact Billy Johnson at 202/662-8548 or billyjohnson@isri.org.
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ISRI Chair George Adams appeared in a segment of CNBC's Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo on May 22. The nearly four-minute segment began with a live broadcast from Adams' San Pedro, Calif., scrap recycling facility and focused on the growing international demand and rising prices for scrap.
CNBC reporter Jane Wells interviewed Adams as they toured the facility and he demonstrated the
capital- and technology-intensive nature of scrap processing. Kendig Kneen of Al-jon Manufacturing (Ottumwa, Iowa) also was interviewed about the demand for car crushing equipment.
Visit www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=750797997
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The Paper Stock Industries Chapter is developing an archive. The chapter asks those who have documents relating to PSI's founding and development to contact Wayne DiCastri, 612/381-2173 or wayned@pioneerintl.com; Crawford Carpenter, 925/824-3188 or ccarpenter@tngus.com; Doug Padnos, 616/396-6521 or dbpadnos@padnos.com; or Bill Tinnell, 714/538-6900 or tinnellfibre@aol.com. •
More than 400 attendees—including 60 exhibitors—worked as hard as they played at the ReMA Gulf Coast Chapter's annual summer convention and exposition, held June 19-21 at the Westin La Cantera Resort in San Antonio.