## Houston targets air pollution from scrap metal processors
_By Editorial Staff, Resource Recycling_
As a result of numerous citizen complaints, Houston environmental officials recently undertook an extensive assessment of air emissions from scrap yards. And they were startled by the results. As a consequence, a number of facilities are upgrading their operations.
According to the [_Houston Chronicle_](http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Danger-in-air-near-metal-recyclers-4154951.php), nearly 200 citizen complaints spurred city officials and researchers from Rice University to perform air emission tests outside of five processing facilities. This research indicated that the air outside these plants had high levels of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, and that these levels were not found in any other industrial area of the city.
Most of the tested plants are now revising their processing practices, such as reducing the amount of metal cutting and using a water spray system to minimize shredder dust.
[ ](http://compostingcouncil.org/conference/)
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URL: http://resource-recycling.com/node/3370
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