California shredder plan runs afoul of New York rival's goals

Sep 23, 2005 | 05:08 AM | Michael Marley

New battle lines are being drawn in an eight-year war between a Colton, Calif., scrapyard, some of the city's residents and a rival recycler.

At issue is the auto shredder that Pacific Rail Industries wants to install in its scrapyard at 785 East M Street. Pacific Rail obtained the blessing of the Colton City Council last November, when it approved the shredder by a 6-0 vote, but its plan has run afoul of a few residents and New York-based Hugo Neu Corp., which operates Colton Iron & Metal, a small scrapyard across the street at 790 East M Street.

Some Colton residents, frustrated by the council's action, reportedly are preparing to launch a campaign to stop the installation of the shredder. They plan to circulate a petition to have the "Colton Health and Environmental Safety Act" placed on the ballot and let the city's voters decide if the shredder installation should go forward. The initiative, if adopted, would prohibit auto shredders within one mile of any home, school, park or church in Colton. The nearest home is 650 feet from Pacific Rail's property.....