US lead-acid recycling company Quemetco has applied for permission to increase production at its Califiornia plant.
The company, a subsidiary of private secondary lead smelting firm RSR Corporation, is aiming to improve operational efficiency its lead-acid battery recycling facility in City of Industry, reports the American Metals Market (AMM).
The plant had reached its permitted daily feed limit and has to take some production equipment offline for several hours a day to stay within regulation guidelines, a spokesman for RSR told AMM.
Quemetco wants to be able to run the equipment continuously without interrupting operations.
It is unclear what the production increase would be, and timeline for the proposed expansion in production is reliant on gaining permission from regulatory agencies.
The tightening of regulations governing lead smelting and recycling in California have been ramped up since lead smelting firm Exide was forced to close its Vernon plant.
Last month Quemetco was ordered by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to submit a plan to measure for lead contamination at the recycling facility.
Earlier this month DTSC started the second phase of its cleanup of lead-contaminated soil around the Vernon facility. To date around 10,000 tons of lead-contaminated soil has been removed from 186 residential yards.
