According to local news reports, the developers of a proposed steel dust recycling plant in Indiana have dropped plans for the project, based on what they attributed to a “wave of local opposition” and “campaign of misinformation.”
Officials in Muncie, Indiana announced this week that Waelz Sustainable Products and the city had agreed to call off the project, although the agreement depends on a resolution with the Muncie Redevelopment Commission to acquire the 85-acre brownfield site that was selected for the plant.
The steel dust recycling facility was expected to recycle steel dust, which is considered a hazardous waste because mercury, lead and other hazardous air pollutants are released during the process to recover zinc and iron. The proposed facility elicited local opposition from residents and nearby communities that worried about pollution emissions and the impact on property values.
Waelz Sustainable Products is a joint venture between Indianapolis-based Heritage Environmental and Monterrey, Mexico-based Zinc Nacional. The project would have created up to 90 jobs, according to the company.
Nigel Morrison, the director of Waelz Sustainable Products, told media that a “campaign of misinformation tainted the process,” resulting in the dropped plans for the project.