Newport Strikes Deal to Relocate River Metals Recycling Shredding Operations Out of NKY

The citations and the district court charges will be dismissed upon installing and operating the FireRover and terminating shredding.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Newport City staff and its residents have spent almost three years mired in a court case intended to require River Metals Recycling to comply with noise regulations after neighbors have reported sporadic and sometimes daily explosions for years.

It looks like their wish is coming true.

In an agreement between the city and River Metals Recycling, known as RMR, the facility has agreed to move its shredding operations to the former Garden Street Iron & Metal based in Cincinnati, acquired in October 2023, with some stipulations.

 This agreement is contingent upon Campbell County District Court Judge Cameron Blau signing off on it at a court date scheduled for Feb. 20.

“If the operations are indeed moved—substantially reduced in Newport and moved over across the river, I would think that this is a win,” Newport Clifton Neighborhood Association President Chad Silber said. “I’m encouraged by that, and I think the city should be commended for getting RMR at the table, even getting this far. I’m always the type of person that’s like ‘trust but verify,’ so when I see the actual steps being made, I will feel better.”

 This agreement is in lieu of a previously scheduled March 5 bench trial; however, should the deal not be signed on Feb. 20, the case could go to trial.

“I believe that we’ve got commitments here that are much stronger than we’ve ever heard from them before,” Newport Assistant City Manager John Hayden said. “It’s a much bigger ask than we could have gotten from the court. The judge would have been limited to a fine per violation (with a max of $10,000 for the five violations), and the city doesn’t even get that money.”

According to the agreement to fully consolidate its shredding operations, RMR is currently making “substantial improvements” to the Cincinnati facility, including installing a new pre-shredder, which they anticipate being operational in 12 months.

 RMR has already begun to reduce the shredder operation at the Newport facility, the agreement reads. Hayden said he anticipates RMR’s shredding operations to be moved before they reach 12 months.

Under the agreement, the facility may continue to operate as a collection, processing and transfer site. RMR will also be required to install a FireRover at the Newport facility, which can detect emerging hot spots and further reduce the risk of fire.

The citations and the district court charges will be dismissed upon installing and operating the FireRover and terminating shredding.

 “I think the hardest thing, probably on the residence side, was the waiting game because now we’re in court, and we’re dealing with that, and we’re talking to the attorneys, but we can’t come out and say ‘this is what’s going on,’” Hayden said. “So, you know, we’re hearing the rumors. We’re seeing the stuff on Facebook; we’re hearing all that, but we’re trying to be careful about what we say and what our message is while trying to be neutral and trying to be fair to everybody.”

RMR’s Regional Manager Neal Coulardot said that for RMR, which has 19 facilities across six states, maintaining good relationships in communities is a priority. The company said in a news release that it is pleased that, “after a concerted and cooperative effort by both parties, the City of Newport joins RMR in the agreement and supports the diversion and dismissal of all charges.”

 “We value our very positive working relationship with the City of Newport, which has spanned several decades,” Coulardot said. “We are proud of the role our facility plays in the circular economy by providing the recycled scrap that is used to make some of the lowest carbon-embodied steel in the world. This business has been at this Newport location since World War II, and we’re proud to have continued its operation for the last 40 years.

“We are even more proud of our track record of supporting our community by employing 33 people at our Newport facility, doing business with numerous local and regional companies, providing financial support and volunteering for many worthy organizations, and being a good corporate neighbor.”

Though Newport residents said the intent contained in the agreement is encouraging, they think there are still some holes that would allow RMR to continue operations as is.

 Courtesy: www.wcpo.com

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