Zinc Resources receives TCEQ approval for EAF dust recycling at Victoria, Texas, facility

Houston-based Zinc Resources LLC (ZR) has received approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to recycle electric arc furnace (EAF) dust as a hazardous secondary material at its facility in Victoria, Texas. This approval is in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2018 Definition of Solid Waste rule (EPA DSW Rule).

With this approval, the company says generators of EAF dust can now send their material to Zinc Resources without it being manifested as hazardous waste.

ZR claims it is the first entity to receive approval from the TCEQ for recycling EAF dust in the state. The approval is the final step in the process that ZR undertook to qualify as a hazardous secondary material (HSM) recycler of EAF dust under the EPA DSW Rule. The Waelz process is used by ZR to recycle EAF dust, which the company says is a common process used by virtually all EAF dust recyclers in the U.S. and worldwide.

ZR says the advantages of sending EAF dust to it under the new HSM designation include no hazardous waste generation fees, no requirement for hazardous waste manifests for shipment and no requirements for annual waste generation reports. In addition, if the generator stores the EAF dust in a tank or other unit before shipping it to an off-site facility for reclamation, that container or unit is no longer subject to regulation under the hazardous waste rules.

“We are thrilled to receive TCEQ approval to recycle EAF dust as a hazardous secondary material at our Victoria facility,” ZR executive vice president of Technical Services Thomas Knepper says. “This approval not only benefits us but also benefits generators of EAF dust who can now send their material to us without any additional costs or regulatory requirements. We look forward to continuing our commitment to responsible recycling practices and to providing a valuable service to the metals industry.”