INDIANAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--RSR-Quemetco, Inc. is pleased to announce the successful activation at its Indianapolis battery recycling facility of the most technologically advanced air emissions control system available. Already among the cleanest battery recycling facilities in the nation, the Morris Street site is now even cleaner thanks to the installation of the new Wet Electrostatic Precipitator, or WESP, technology. The use of this cutting edge technology is instrumental in improving the environment, creating green jobs at the facility, and making Indianapolis home to one of the cleanest lead battery recycling facilities in the world.
“Our company firmly believes in sustained environmental improvement and going above and beyond what is required by federal and state laws. Installing WESP at our Indianapolis facility is a demonstration of our commitment to the environment and to this community,” said AJ Williams, Vice President and Plant Manager of Quemetco Inc. Indiana. “We believe WESP technology should be the standard for all lead battery recycling facilities and we urge EPA to take the necessary steps to make that happen.”
WESP are a class of air pollution control equipment generally considered to be particulate removal devices. However, as designed and installed by RSR-Quemetco, WESP technology can be implemented to remove multiple types of acid gases as well as particulate matter. The battery recycling process emits both kinds of materials and with WESP, Quemetco can virtually eliminate emissions of lead, arsenic, and other pollutants.
Although WESP has been around for decades, it has only recently been implemented in a few secondary lead smelters. RSR - Quemetco has been leading the charge in the lead recycling industry; investing $25 million to retrofit their Morris Street facility to take advantage of this new technology, which has a proven record of successfully reducing emissions.
RSR first installed the WESP technology at its Quemetco facility in Southern California four years ago, where it has dramatically lowered emissions of lead, arsenic and other pollutants. WESP has reduced lead emissions to one percent of their previous levels -- from 614.96 lbs. emitted per year to less than 5 lbs. per year – and reduced over 90% of arsenic, nickel and cadmium emissions. Following the successful implementation of WESP in Indianapolis and California, RSR is moving forward with similar plans to install the technology at its Middleton, NY facility.
Editor’s Note: Please contact Jeff Urbanchuk at Stanton Communications at jurbanchuk@stantoncomm.com if you are interested in speaking to a representative from Quemetco, or to set up a tour of the new facility to see the Wet Electrostatic Precipitator (WESP) technology in action.