Polluted stormwater and chemicals are entering the Piscataqua River from the metal scrap yard in Portsmouth, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA has issued an enforcement order to Grimmel Industries, a metal scrap recycler that leases property from the Pease Development Authority at the Port of New Hampshire.

As a result, Grimmel has halted its scrap metal operations until the issue is resolved, the Associated Press reported on April 8.

According to an EPA news release from April 6, stormwater discharges from the scrap yard contain “metals, suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand which exceed permit benchmarks.” The discharges also contain mercury and PCBs that reduce the water quality and can become present in fish and shellfish.

Furthermore, the EPA alleges, Grimmel did not perform required inspections or sampling and has not taken corrective actions to address its violations of water quality standards. 

The company sprays piles of scrap metal to suppress dust, creating unpermitted discharges of wastewater into the Piscataqua.

The EPA order demands that Grimmel cease its unpermitted discharges and begin sampling its stormwater discharge. The company also must develop and implement a plan to reduce contaminants in its stormwater discharge.

Runoff from scrap yards can contain sediments, oil and other pollutants that contaminate streams, ponds and rivers, possibly contributing to fish die-offs, toxic algae blooms, contaminated shellfish beds, and swimming bans, according to the EPA.