The Mystic River in Everett, MA. Photo: Alex Maclean
February 22, 2022 (BOSTON, MA) – Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) filed three lawsuits against Schnitzer Steel today to address Clean Water Act violations at ten scrap metal facilities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico. The company’s stormwater runoff is polluting nearby rivers with toxic metals like lead and petroleum products every time it rains.
“Schnitzer needs to prioritize stormwater management and end this harmful and dangerous pollution,” said Heather Govern, Vice President of Clean Air and Water at CLF. “Every day that passes without proper controls, toxic runoff contaminates waters that people depend on for drinking and recreation. It’s time this billion-dollar company complies with the law.”
The polluting Schnitzer facilities are in Manchester and Concord, New Hampshire; Attleboro, Worcester, and Everett, Massachusetts; and Bayamón, Caguas, Canovanas, Ponce, and Salinas Puerto Rico. Every time it rains, toxic chemicals from the piles of broken and rusted metal on each of these sites flow directly to the Blackstone River, the Merrimack River, the Mystic River, and several bays and rivers in Puerto Rico. This type of runoff causes poor water quality, harming natural ecosystems and marine life.
CLF experts are available for further comment.
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