R.J. Torching to install pollution capture, control system

R.J. Torching, Flint, Michigan, will install a pollution capture and control system at its facility on G-5167 North Dort Highway in Flint and pay $150,000 in civil penalties as part of a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The scrap metal recycler is accused of violations of the Clean Air Act, and the EPA says the system to be installed is expected to significantly reduce visible emissions of inhalable metallic particulate matter from the facility to better protect human health and the environment.

The company uses torches to cut large metal objects, such as automotive manufacturing machines. According to the EPA, the company violated visible emissions limitations, illegally conducted open burning and failed to properly operate air pollution control devices. The EPA also alleges that R.J. Torching violated a 2015 administrative settlement to use a specified air pollution cleansing device when needed to comply with applicable Michigan visible emission requirements.

The EPA says the company’s torch-cutting operations can generate significant amounts of pollution, which can lead to a variety of health problems. EPA has also worked with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to issue violation notices addressing the company’s excess torch-cutting emissions at its facilities in Flint and Battle Creek, Michigan.

In 2019, R.J. Torching installed a movable enclosure to better contain torch-cutting emissions at the Flint facility, the EPA says. The current settlement will require R.J. Torching to use the enclosure to house the company’s torch-cutting operations and construct a new pollution control system to capture the emissions and remove particulate matter from the air through a fabric filter system. It also requires air pollution testing and improved monitoring and compliance with a more stringent air emission standard to mitigate past harm to the environment.

The facility is in an area with environmental justice concerns, according to data from EPA’s EJSCREEN tool.

The settlement is subject to a public comment period and final court approval. A virtual public meeting on the consent decree will be Jan. 18, 2024, from 6-7:30 p.m. EST. Information on how to submit a public comment and participate in the public meeting is available here.