So Doe Run would need $100 million to get their facility up to EPA spec? [More]
And gun owners are now worried that this will not only further decrease the supply/increase the price of ammunition already hit by unprecedented demand and government procurements, but actually put the government in a position to "control" imports, with all that implies?
If that's the case, all the gun groups, industry groups and companies dependent on having ammunition for their products or customers could get together and lead their memberships in crowd-funding enough of a subsidy to make it worth Doe Run's investment to upgrade their facility -- perhaps covering the interest on loans or assuming enough of a percentage of the costs...
Then again, once the place got into compliance, the "sent hither swarms of officers" would probably move the goal posts... and does anyone know what unions are involved, and if they'd be willing to trade concessions for keeping jobs?
Perhaps the other way is to convince Congress to enact legislation to keep embedded Marxist government environmentalcases from destroying industries critical to national defense. Unfortunately (or more likely planned this way) the Republican establishment is doing its utmost to turn off its core constituents -- they're probably too stupid or compromised to do much more than snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Besides, the Dems would probably either strangle such legislation in its crib or attach so many riders we'd be better off if they did.
Gee, y'know what? It looks like there's no easy way out. I wonder if Obama, or the next likely president, Hillary (if the GOP fields another RINO), could issue an executive order to further hamper lead for ammunition and lead ammunition imports?
Is there a solution? One easier than "liberating" ammo after the fact, or just giving up...?
[Via Jess]
This is a tempest in a teacup. The US uses 1.4 million tons of lead a year, ammo makes up 5% of that. Doe Run produces 115,000 tons of virgin lead from raw ore. They would export 65,000 tons of that virgin lead. We import about 275,000 tons of lead from overseas. 1.1 millon tons of lead, including 100% of the lead used for bullets, comes from recycled lead. The recycling smelters are still working with no plans to shut them down.
ReplyDeleteIt's a test, a probe, a trial run. That's what it is; alarm is entirely appropriate
ReplyDeleteIncreased cost of virgin lead will trickle down to secondary smelters and then to those industries using recovered lead from secondary smelters. Any cost increase, anywhere in the supply chain affects the buying public because the increases are always pushed to the consumer. Think minimum wage increases and the net effect on product costs. We will see cost of secondary lead products rise with the closing of Doe Run.
ReplyDelete