Last U.S. Lead Smelter to Close in December Due to EPA – Might Affect Ammo Production

Guns Save Lives ^ | 10/28/2013 | Dan Cannon

[rktman]

According to the NRA-ILA, the last primary lead smelter in the United States will close down its operation in December.

This means the US will lose its capability to produce lead ammo completely within its borders from the process of mining to production of commercial cartridges.

Here is the press release from the NRA-ILA.

[rktman]

I may have missed this previously so my apologies if it's already been posted. I also found the following link from Doe Run concerning the closure of this facility. Way to go epa asshats. At the bottom of the Doe Run memo you will notice this about the new(2008) epa requirements:In "2008, the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for lead was reduced from 1.5 µg/m3 (micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air) to 0.15 µg/m3." Really? From 1.5 down to 0.15? But hey, to the epa, what's a crappy little decimal point huh?!

http://www.doerun.com/MediaCenter/NewsReleases/Article/Herculaneum-Smelter-Update.aspx

[blackdog]

So we have to buy lead solder for manufacturing with wave solder units and circuit board assembly abroad?

A mil-spec electrical wiring joint must have a mechanical crimp and it must be soldered.

[JoeProBono]

[Fresh Wind]

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/print/volume-16/issue-10/news/trends/lead-free-solder-a-train-wreck-in-the-making.html

[rktman]

Looks like we’re not just talking ammo in these implications of the impact. Primary lead is apparently quite a bit different from secondary(recovered?) lead and is required in a lot of applications. Guess we’ll just buy some from china now. It’s probably safe to use. Right?

[unixfox]

Mexico will have no problem producing the lead for us.

[Dr. Pritchett]

Any insight into how the workers at this plant and their families and neighbors voted in the last election?

[fella]

Backdoor gun control phase 2.

[Gritty]

Mexico will have no problem producing the lead for us.

Yes. And we'll have our choice - "silver or lead"?

[rktman]

Not from me but I’m sure someone has the info ready at hand. Maybe “they”’ll post it. Lucky for them though that now they’ll all be able to sign up for obiecare. Whether or not they like it.

[SunkenCiv]

Weird coincidence. It’s really all about *saving the environment*, let’s all fart some rainbows.

Thanks rktman.

[ronnied]

Yes. And we’ll have our choice - “silver or lead”?

if memory serves me right, i believe “the lone ranger” carried silver bullets, also, a horse named silver...

[Ladysmith]

Lead-free solder has been in use for some time for circuit board assembly. We were using it when I left manufacturing back in 2004.

[Repeat Offender]

Guess we’ll just buy some from china now. It’s probably safe to use. Right?

Well, we'll have to mine the lead from the children's toys and food we import from them, but yeah it's safe.

[rktman]

Can you come up with a way to extract whatever it is they’ve put in the doggie snacks? LOL! (Not really funny since our pup had a seizure after eating waggin’ trails chicken treats)

[bandleader]

My brother-in-law has buckets of old tire-weights.Now I know why!

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Mexico comes to the rescue. The Naica Mine, in Chihuahua, just south of New Mexico, best known for its volcanic The Cave of Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) and the Cave of Swords, which both demonstrate that Hell at times can be beautiful, but still be Hell.

For a long time, lead ore has been mined there, by Industrias Peñoles, Mexico’s largest lead producer, and smelted near the city of Torreón. The vast majority goes of the lead is used for car batteries.

And there are 10 lead mines and several smelters in Canada as well.

[rktman]

Not a problem. The “lyin’ king” will just execute a presidential directive giving the epa power over countries that border the US. Easy peasy! Treaty? We don’t need no steenkin’ treaty.

[Carriage Hill]

“Gun Talk” Ping List...

Here we go again, Ping.

[mylife]

We’ll just bring it up from Mexico.
There have always been unreasonable regulations on lead smelters in the US.

Well as far back as 1980 that I recall.

It is ridiculous.
Smelters are highly restricted in Ca, but just across the border they are belching out smoke.
That smoke pours into San Diego when the wind is right.

The good news is a new president could direct the EPA to ease standards.
The bad news is the left has the country convinced that if we stop all manufacturing the world will become a clean planet, but all we do is put ourselves at disadvantage while the rest of the world still produces.