lead smelter closes

Zekernst

H & H
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
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Bethany, ok
Is anyone following the closing of the last primary (ore to finished product) lead smelter in the continental us closing? I just read the story today and it is kinda upsetting to say the least?
 
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Yea, it's just stupid IMO. The EPA caused this and for what? Now the ore will still be mined, then shipped out of country, smelted and brought back in. So what's been accomplished? Nothing except putting a few people out of work and making us dependent on other countries for a basic metal. Once upon a time this would have been very concerning to our federal agencies from a national defense standpoint. What happens if we have to deploy a couple hundred thousand troops in another shooting war and the other countries decide they disagree and don't want to "play ball" with us?
 
None of the Doe Run plants is running at permitted capacity due to tough competition from the lead-recycling industry, which they are also involved in.

They've also been working on a fluorine-based process for extracting lead from ore, similar to the way we concentrate uranium, as a new type of primary "smelting" operation, but haven't built a plant yet to use the new process.
 
The new clean air regs put out by the current administration are strangling coal fired power plants, and any industry that Smelts, melts, uses fire, etc.

We are being forced to install new processes that will cost our customers higher utility bills.
 
so in the end, we will still have access to the lead for projectiles, we will just have to pay to have the ore shipped overseas, processed, then shipped back to make it into "safe" projectiles for us to use? That certainly makes economical sense!
 
Zekernst said:
so in the end, we will still have access to the lead for projectiles, we will just have to pay to have the ore shipped overseas, processed, then shipped back to make it into "safe" projectiles for us to use? That certainly makes economical sense!
Welcome to Obama world.
 
Zekernst said:
so in the end, we will still have access to the lead for projectiles, we will just have to pay to have the ore shipped overseas, processed, then shipped back to make it into "safe" projectiles for us to use? That certainly makes economical sense!
Almost all, if not all, bullets are from recycled lead. I don't think this plant closing will have any effect on supply. I'm not 100% certain, but I don't think they even produced lead as refined product.

But, on Dennis' note, we are all gonna get an ass bite on our electric bills. Obama even said he wanted to get rid of coal power. Plus low natural gas prices made a lot of gas fired plants spring up, and retired older coal plants that cost too much to compete. And today, I heard on the news that natural gas prices just jumped 30%. So they got us coming and going.
 
BobS761 said:
Almost all, if not all, bullets are from recycled lead. I don't think this plant closing will have any effect on supply. I'm not 100% certain, but I don't think they even produced lead as refined product.

But, on Dennis' note, we are all gonna get an ass bite on our electric bills. Obama even said he wanted to get rid of coal power. Plus low natural gas prices made a lot of gas fired plants spring up, and retired older coal plants that cost too much to compete. And today, I heard on the news that natural gas prices just jumped 30%. So they got us coming and going.
Yes, most are from recycled lead, but we must have a source to recycle from.

Obummer campaigned on the promise to shut down coal plants. I guess nobody remembers the NG prices from a few years back that were insanely high because of some perceived shortage that never existed. Nor the gasoline prices in the Carter years that almost hit $4 a gallon for a perceived shortage that turned out to be contrived by the oil company's, and proven when the price of crude plummeted when investigators discovered oil company's hiding gasoline in abandoned gas stations (Kansas City star). We had to drive 55 MPH on the interstates to "save" resources. In retrospect, that only saved about 1% of our stocks while full tankers of crude from overseas languished in the Gulf of Mexico waiting to discharge.

I live in a city that has the 10th largest refinery in the US. The gasoline storage tanks have floating tops to prevent explosions from static and O2 in the air. During the "shortage" the tanks were full. Its easy to see when driving by every morning on the way to work. Right now in bigger city's in Oklahoma you can buy a gallon of gas for $2.80 or so.
Here in the host town of the refinery, we are paying $3.26. I guess its the tax we pay for no transportation, no pipeline, etc.

It disgusts me how we are so manipulated by the government and big business.
 
See, thanks again boomer shooters! I learned something new this morning. I really didn't know that most bullet cores were made from recycled lead. I thought that jacketed bullets would use new lead. So, once again, shooters are seeking to preserve the environment by recycling! What a great bunch of folks. lol
 
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