Purchased A Manufacturing Facility From A Tax Sale? What You Need To Know Before Disassembling Metals
If you've recently acquired a manufacturing facility in a tax sale, you may jump for joy when you see the amount of metal in the facility that can be scrapped and sold. However, don't get too carried away when disassembling the metal parts and containers, especially if there are any chemicals and other dangerous materials in the facility. If you don't handle the materials appropriately, you could face several problems. Here's what you need to know.
Properly remove all chemicals and hazardous materials
A man in Pennsylvania purchased a chemical manufacturing facility in a tax sale and began liquidating the metals and other assets with no concern regarding the dangerous chemicals in the various metal containers and piping. While he sold the metal and other assets for $875,000, clean up of the chemicals cost the Environmental Protection Agency $888,000. Obviously, the EPA filed a lawsuit against the owner to recover the costs of cleanup.
Before disassembling the metal inside the facility, request an inspection by your state's EPA official. The EPA will tell you how to handle the various chemicals and materials in the facility, so you don't put yourself at risk of a lawsuit or the surrounding community at risk of dangerous conditions, especially if the chemicals contaminate the soil like what happened in Pennsylvania due to the carelessness of the new owner. If, however, the chemicals are extremely hazardous, you may be required to hire a professional cleanup service to remove the chemicals and other hazardous materials from the facility.
Rent scrap metal bins and place them in an easy-to-access location
Due to the extent of the work at hand, you will likely need to rent several large bins from your scrap metal company of choice. The bins can be delivered to your facility and placed in a location that is easily accessible to you and to the scrap metal company for delivery and scrap metal pick up.
The bins should be placed on a hard surface, such as concrete. While asphalt may seem to be a hard enough surface, the weight of a full scrap metal bin could be enough to create indents in the asphalt as asphalt is actually more of a liquid than a solid. If the only option for placement of the bins is in grass, place sheets of plywood underneath the feet of the bins so the weight from the bins is distributed more evenly.
Separate the metals and place them into the bins
After all the chemicals and other hazardous materials have been removed from the metal vats, piping, and other components and the bins are ready to be filled, you'll be ready to disassemble the metal parts and place them into the bins. To disassemble, you will likely need tools such as air ratchets and metal saws. If you are unfamiliar with disassembling metal, it is highly recommended to consult with the scrap metal company for more information. They may provide an additional service for disassembly of metal containers, piping, and equipment that is typically found in manufacturing facilities.
Keep the various types of metal separate so they can be weighed appropriately directly in the bins. If you are unfamiliar with how to tell various types of metal apart, a representative from the scrap metal company can train you on how to identify them. Alternatively, allow the scrap metal company to divide up the parts after you've disassembled them, which will likely be at a cost. If the metal is not divided based on type, you will likely receive a flat mixed-metal rate, which could be lower than if you divided up the metal.