subject: Arkansas Salvage Yard Environmental Concerns [print this page] The implementation of salvage yards is profoundly significant to many environmental conservationists. The idea of bypassing landfills to dump old or unused motor vehicles is indeed praiseworthy. Landfills though in some ways useful, produce the toxic greenhouse gas methane that is released into the air during the decomposition of organic matter. They are sometimes also responsible for the pollution of underground water supply systems. For this reason the recycling of parts and metals in a salvage yard is highly regarded by environmental activists.
Salvage yards are operated for the purpose of storing and retrieving useful parts from motor vehicles. These motor vehicles may be sent to these storage facilities because they are old or irreparable as a result of damages from a vehicular collision. These automobiles are then organized into neat stacks until they are needed. Some salvaging yards may go ahead and pull down the vehicle for parts well before any prospective customers express interest. These salvage yards may also have showrooms where the parts are displayed, thus simplifying the process. But besides the actual sale and retrieval of car parts the vehicles may be sold as scrap metals to metal recycling factories.
However though salvage yards are a viable alternative to landfills there are still some environmental concerns that are expressed by groups such as the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). The possible threat that these salvage yards pose is the problem of storage and certain processing methods employed. The greatest problem stems form waste mismanagement which is said to have dire consequences on the environment. As a result there are many advocacy groups that try to promote safer waste management practices in these facilities. In states like Arkansas, proper salvage yard licensing is required before any salvage yards can be established. These ultimately dictate the standards that must be followed. The struggle to keep salvage yards in proper working order is a task that is currently ongoing by many different agencies like the EPA.
