Actually, the smelter has created quit a bit of harm to the community and its residents from emissions. Many decades of ignoring obvious upgrades that could have been made passed while Doe Run Company was quite profitable have led to the current shutdown.
I’ve read that recycling lead from automotive batteries is an obvious supply for ammo requirements. I don’t know who might be trying to do this, however.
Reloaders should definitely stay away from car batteries for making bullets. They add things to the lead that are not good for bullets or the people making bullets.
About a decade ago, GNB started adding Cadmium to their lead acid batteries. Makes a better battery but Cadmium kills the kidneys dead and the body does not excrete it. Dose is cumulative over a lifetime. If you keep your lead exposure low, the body will clear it out, If you keep your Cadmium exposure low, eventually you reach the critical dose and you are on dialysis.
Don’t melt down car batteries.
I've heard this too. The EPA is not a friendly organization to my mind, but this one, they got right.
“Many decades of ignoring obvious upgrades that could have been made passed while Doe Run Company was quite profitable have led to the current shutdown.”
I have no evidence to be able to present to disagree with you, but how could a lead smelter be able to stay in business all these years, with these “violations” without the EPA shutting them down?