Certified Auto Recyclers
Many professional automotive recyclers use a certification program to attain and maintain compliance with environmental, safety and transportation rules applicable to salvage facilities. The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) Certified Auto Recyclers (CAR) program sets a standard of excellence as the path to compliance.
The Minnesota - Certified Auto Recycler (MN-CAR) program is the state program affiliate to the ARA CAR Program. MN-CAR standards meet the ARA CAR program standards and are specific about the Minnesota regulations governing waste management, permitting and safety in the state.
Regulatory Agency
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) monitors environmental quality, offers technical and financial assistance, and enforces environmental regulations. The agency finds and cleans up spills or leaks that can affect our health and environment. Staff develop statewide policy, and support environmental education.
In 1967, a growing awareness of the environment's fragile nature led the Minnesota Legislature to create a new state agency, one with a unique challenge and a demanding responsibility: to protect the air, waters and land of our great state. The Minnesota Legislature gave authority to the MPCA to begin controlling pollution problems in the state three years before the first Earth Day and the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.pca.state.mn.us/
The MPCA issues permits for air quality, land application and water discharge as well as regulates hazardous waste in the state.
The MPCA has offices in seven cities around the state. To contact MPCA by phone, call 651-296-6300 in the Twin Cities area, or toll free at 800-657-3864. https://www.pca.state.mn.us/about-mpca/contact-us
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 serves Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 Tribes from headquarters in Chicago, IL. https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-5
US EPA Region 5
Ralph Metcalfe Federal Building
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
312-353-2000
EPA in Minnesota https://www.epa.gov/mn
Stormwater Regulation
Facilities in specific industries that store materials, waste, or equipment outdoors are subject to industrial stormwater regulations administered by the MPCA. These facilities must take steps to monitor and manage stormwater on their properties where stormwater may come into contact with harmful pollutants including toxic metals, oil, grease, de-icing salts, and other chemicals. Industrial stormwater permittees in Minnesota are regulated by a general permit that is reissued every five years.
Spill Reporting
National Response Center
If the hazardous condition involves the release of an EPA regulated material or an oil as defined by the EPA, the release may also need to be reported to the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802. Federal Reporting is required within 15 minutes of event occurrence or discovery.
The National Response Center (NRC) is a part of the federally established National Response System and staffed 24 hours a day by the U.S. Coast Guard. It is the designated federal point of contact for reporting all oil, chemical, radiological, biological and etiological discharges into the environment, anywhere in the United States and its territories.
Resources
National Small Business Environmental Assistance Program
The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments required states to develop programs to help small businesses comply with air quality regulations through a small business environmental assistance providers' programs (SBEAP). Many state technical assistance programs have expanded their air quality focus to provide technical assistance in other environmental areas.
To access these free, often confidential services and see which ones your state offers, locate your state program at https://nationalsbeap.org/states
Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx™) http://www.p2rx.org/
P2Rx is a national partnership of regional pollution prevention information centers funded in part through grants from EPA.
P2Rx build networks, deliver P2 information, and measure P2 program results.
The Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable (GLRPPR) serves the Great Lakes region of the United States (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) and Canada (Ontario).
GLRPPR projects include:
A series of guides developed for small business is available at the Portal to resources developed by the GLRPPR including the Pollution Prevention 101 and the Green Business Guide.
The following fact sheets are designed to assist automotive recyclers with operating their businesses and managing their wastes in compliance with the environmental laws in their state. Select from the list below.
