Dive Brief:
- Closed Loop Refinery and Recovery, a processor of CRT glass, may face a forced foreclosure as the company has been cited by the Ohio EPA for speculatively stockpiling CRT at its Columbus, OH facility.
- Estimates indicate that between its Arizona and Ohio sites, Closed Loop is holding onto at least 91 million pounds of CRT material and could possibly be stockpiling more, as reported in Resource Recycling. Further, the CRT processor is behind in rent in both states and faces an eviction hearing addressing the Ohio site on April 21.
- The hearing will likely decide whether Closed Loop—which claims low commodity prices have hit the company hard—will be able to restructure as it plans to, or whether it is forced to permanently close. Property owner Garrison Southfield Park has already moved forward to arrange for the Ohio site’s cleanup.
Dive Insight:
Closed Loop has been under fire for years, charged with improper storage, labeling, and leaded-glass accumulation tied to its handling of CRT. Meanwhile, management of this material requires concise skills in lead extraction as human or environmental exposure can be serious.
Months ago SERI, which administers the R2 certification, called on Closed Loop to remove the R2 logo from its company website.
In court filings referencing the company’s latest troubles, Garrison Southfield Park stated, "Defendant Closed Loop has breached the lease by leaving the premises with millions of pounds of discarded cathode ray tubes and ancillary scrap materials filling the premises and otherwise contaminating the premises," according to Resource Recycling.
The property management company is suing for nearly $4 million in past and future rent as well as millions to compensate for the major cleanup that Garrison Southfield is taking charge of.
