Editor's Focus

When the Congress reconvenes next month it will have a full plate of issues to contend with. If the majority of political pundits are correct, the American people are demanding the Congress attend to more than the Bill and Monica show. Initially, scrap recyclers will take particular notice on how the new Congress, with possible prodding from the White House, tackles two issues of concern to the industry.

The first concerns Superfund legislation. Just before Congress broke for the election, it seemed The Superfund Recycling Equity Act (S.2180) was going to be included in the omnibus appropriations bill. But it wasn’t to be. Last minute "snags" caused Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) to pull the recycling provision from the bill, rather than risk seeing the whole ball of wax unravel.

In the October 21, 1998 Congressional Record, Lott stated the following: "S2180 would have provided much needed liability relief to those who collect scrap metal, paper, glass, plastic and textiles and arrange for it to be recycled. These are people who should not be held responsible for the pollution of a Superfund site."

Importantly, Lott pointed out the bipartisan support for the bill and thanked Democrats for their help. He further noted it was his belief enacting the recycling provisions of S2180 would not endanger passage of further and comprehensive environmental reforms. Apparently, it was this fear that led a number of Senators to jump ship at the last minute and withdraw their support.

That steel is being dumped into the U.S. is not surprising. Asian economies, including those of Japan and Korea, not to mention Russia’s, are gasping. The governments of these countries are desperate to turn things around and they’re turning to the world’s most successful economy to help them.