Dive Brief:
- Massachusetts-based Excel Recycling has been granted permission to complete construction of a new auto shredding facility in Freetown, as reported by Recycling Today.
- Freetown's Zoning Board of Appeals recently rejected a public petition to stop the project over concerns of increased traffic and noise. The town's building inspector had already determined that a special permit was needed.
- The five-acre facility will have capacity for up to 60 tons of scrap per hour and 20,000 tons per month. Separation equipment for both ferrous and nonferrous metals will also be included.
Dive Insight:
Excel was founded in 2003 and now has three locations in Massachusetts that serve the New England region. The company also recently signed a lease to store and ship scrap metal from the Marine Commerce Terminal in the coastal city of New Bedford.
The rejection of this public petition appears to be the final step for Excel's Freetown facility to move forward. The state's Department of Environmental Protection approved an air permit for the project in April and Excel has been working on the site for about a year. However some of project's opponents, including a competitor, have appealed the state permit approval.
As seen in the case of a Minneapolis metal recycling facility which has been dealing with legal and regulatory restrictions lately, it will be important for Excel to maintain a good relationship with the community. The potential dust and noise created by a shredding operation can often be unpopular with neighbors.
