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
