Hammond recycler gets ‘Clean Yard’ award
Marty Hollingshead said he’s been adopting environmentally friendly practices at his automotive recycling business for years not for notoriety, but because it was the right thing to do.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management took notice and Wednesday granted Hollingshead’s Northlake Auto Recyclers the “Gold Level” in its Indiana Clean Yard program.
The commendation is part of a voluntary program to help auto-salvage businesses reduce their environmental footprint. Together, the Automotive Recyclers of Indiana and IDEM developed two levels of requirements businesses need to meet.
“In the 25 years I’ve been here, this is one of the best things to come out of a government program,” Hollingshead said. “They’re trying to get salvage yards in compliance, and they’re going about it the right way.”
For “clean yard” consideration, businesses have to complete an environmental self-audit checklist and have IDEM determine if the facility follows state environmental and licensing regulations. IDEM staff then conducts inspections of facilities and compares results to the checklist. The gold level has more stringent standards and requires an effective recycling program for scrap generated.
Salvage yards keep and store wrecked vehicles or automotive parts. If not managed properly, stockpiled vehicles—including the antifreeze, gasoline, oil, brake and transmission fluid, mercury switches and batteries—can pose an environmental threat.
IDEM launched the program for auto salvage facilities in 2007 with a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to an agency news release. Hollingshead said he learned about the program in the summer, but since then, IDEM has been cooperative with businesses and it really helps those who want to better protect the environment but don’t have all the answers.
Auto recycling businesses in Indianapolis and Underwood also received the gold award earlier this month.
Indiana has more than 650 auto salvage operators. Hollingshead said an IDEM official said that 40 companies are in the Clean Yards program.
“I think it’s a win-win deal for everybody,” he said.
