Springfield Iron & Metal resumes after cease-and-desist

The company, 1323 W. Locust St., crushes cars, appliances and other metal products and processes them into recyclable metals. Nearby residents have complained about explosions, which can occur when gas tanks, propane tanks and other explosive materials are left inside vehicles being processed, according to a city news release.

The company is operating on a limited basis for now, the release said.

Springfield Iron & Metal has been working with the Springfield Fire Department to establish a process to ensure no explosive materials go through the plant’s shredding devices, the city said. A video-monitoring system will help operators see what is going into the shredder, and seismometers are being used to determine whether the plant is creating tremors in the area.

The company also is working with the health department to obtain an air construction permit – necessary because the items it recycles can contain air contaminants – and with the city’s Building and Development Services department to obtain a certificate of occupancy, the release said.

Springfield Iron & Metal chief executive Greg Westfall could not be immediately reached for comment. Westfall and two silent partners purchased the former site of Springfield’s Southwest Regional Stockyards in January 2007 and began fully operating earlier this year. [[In-content Ad]]