Zinc Resources LLC, a processor of electric-arc furnace (EAF) dust, started operations at its new facility in Victoria, Texas. According to the company, it is the first EAF recycling plant to come online in the southern part of the United States in over 15 years and is also the first to receive approval from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for recycling EAF dust in the state. Zinc Resources reduces the environmental impact of steel production by converting steel recycling waste into usable zinc and iron products. The location of the over $100 million facility, which is capable of processing 120,000 metric tons of EAF dust annually, provides logistical benefits to steel mills in the southwest. The company intends to employ a staff of roughly 50 full-time workers.

CEO Ron Crittendon said, “Zinc Resources’ state-of-the-art facility benefits steel mills by converting a hazardous byproduct of EAF production into two highly recyclable materials: Waelz zinc oxide, which is used by zinc smelters, and Waelz iron product, which is used as a cement additive and in road construction.”

While not required by TCEQ, Zinc Resources’ has installed a network of 25 emissions monitors that continuously verify air emission compliance. Other environmental protection measures include a rubber-lined floor/foundation and a specially designed air-filtration system that continually holds the EAF dust under negative pressure throughout the production process. Additionally, all process water is recycled into the production process while the recycling of used filter bags and cartridges recovers trapped minerals and further eliminates the facility’s processed solid waste, resulting in a zero-waste environment.