Compliance Assistance and Pollution Prevention in New England

Welcome to EPA New England's Salvage Yard and Auto Recyclers Home Page

	Incoming vehicles should be inspected, drained and dismantled in one area. At a minimum, this work should be done on an impervious surface, such as a concrete pad, and under a cover or roof. (Photo courtesy of NH DES)

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) New England Office, the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA), and the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont have joined together to find ways that will improve environmental compliance and management practices at salvage yards and, in particular, at auto recycling facilities throughout New England.

Why Salvage Yards and Auto Recycling Facilities?

The automobile manufacturing industry is the largest manufacturing industry in the world. Every year over 11 million vehicles end up at auto recycling facilities (often referred to as junkyards or auto salvage yards). The auto recycling industry employs more than 40,000 people and there are an estimated 7,000 vehicle recycling operations nationwide.

The dismantling of vehicles for reusable parts and fluids and the sale of remaining materials as scrap has gone a long way toward lessening the burden on landfills. Unfortunately, some methods used in the dismantling and storage of salvaged vehicles has resulted in negative impacts on the environment. It is the mismanagement of waste streams at auto recycling facilities and the potential for serious consequences that concerns the environmental agencies in New England.

 

	Improperly removing fluids from a vehicle can result in soil contamination on unprotected ground. (Photo courtesy of ME DEP)

Why a Web site about Salvage Yards?

This Web site is an effort on the part of the collaborating environmental agencies to reach out to local and state regulators as well as the owner/operators of auto recycling facilities to share information about basic regulatory compliance, on-going assistance efforts, best management practices, etc. On this Web site you will find stories that feature the good and not so good side of this industry. Interest at the regional level mirrors interest nationwide, so we have intentionally included information and links for some of the excellent programs being implemented in other states and organizations beyond New England.

For questions or comments about salvage yards and auto recycling, please contact:

Carol Kilbride (kilbride.carol@epa.gov)
US EPA New England
617-918-1831

State Points of Contact Find out how your state is addressing this industry and who to contact ... more   Industry Stories Examples of best management practices and environmentally harmful industry operations ... more Links to Related Web Sites Links to government sites, organizations ... more   Links to Useful Publications Links to facts sheets, workbooks ... more   Disclaimer Links to web sites outside of the U.S. EPA web site are for the convenience of the user and do not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the US EPA of any private sector web site, public sector web site, product or service. The US EPA does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations, nor is US EPA associated with or responsible for the content of these sites.