# End of an era: Last U.S. lead smelter to close in December



## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

In December, the final primary lead smelter in the United States will close. The lead smelter, located in Herculaneum, Missouri, and owned and operated by the Doe Run Company, has existed in the same location since 1892.

The Herculaneum smelter is currently the only smelter in the United States which can produce lead bullion from raw lead ore that is mined nearby in Missouri's extensive lead deposits, giving the smelter its "primary" designation. The lead bullion produced in Herculaneum is then sold to lead product producers, including ammunition manufactures for use in conventional ammunition components such as projectiles, projectile cores, and primers. Several "secondary" smelters, where lead is recycled from products such as lead acid batteries or spent ammunition components, still operate in the United States.

Doe Run made significant efforts to reduce lead emissions from the smelter, but in 2008 the federal Environmental Protection Agency issued new National Ambient Air Quality Standards for lead that were 10 times tighter than the previous standard. Given the new lead air quality standard, Doe Run made the decision to close the Herculaneum smelter.

Read more: End of an era: Last U.S. lead smelter to close in December | The Daily Caller


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Ammo prices will continue to skyrocket.
In two years, today's prices and availability will be remembers as "the good old days."
I've got to stock up on cast bullets now.
Just like most government agencies, the EPA needs to have it's budget cut by 80% - 90%.
And quite a few agencies just need to be done away with completely.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Start buying now. I still think copper coated lead is the best investment metal.


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## ekim (Dec 28, 2012)

Not to worry, china doesn't have an EPA, they burn coal too. We can import something else that use to be made / produced in this country!


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## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

ekim said:


> Not to worry, china doesn't have an EPA, they burn coal too. We can import something else that use to be made / produced in this country!


I think we can do without the coal, after seeing some of the smog that they cope with over there... but I think we can also do without importing everything and their uncle from factories over there. It's getting redundant reading "Made in China" on every damn thing you buy now-a-days. I think we can just start assuming everything is made in China with the exception of overly protective federal regulations. Heck, I'm sure they have a pretty hefty hand in helping us make those too.


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## ekim (Dec 28, 2012)

dannydefense said:


> I think we can do without the coal, after seeing some of the smog that they cope with over there... but I think we can also do without importing everything and their uncle from factories over there. It's getting redundant reading "Made in China" on every damn thing you buy now-a-days. I think we can just start assuming everything is made in China with the exception of overly protective federal regulations. Heck, I'm sure they have a pretty hefty hand in helping us make those too.


Not to worry, coal is going to be history soon enough, just watch your heating and electric bills, and you will know when that happens. Then the oil companies will be next. Then watch all prices go through the roof! Got to love a government that cares so much about it's serfs / citizens.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Several years ago "cop killer" bullets (thick fmj bullets) were banned as dangerous. Kalifornia has recently banned lead bullets leaving monometal bullets as the only ones that can be used and sold in the Kommie state. so in effect they have made "cop killer" ammunition the only usable ammunition in the state. Since federal law has already said that they can't ban bullets entirely they are going to have to invest a lot more money in better body armor for their police forces or go back to the lead ammo.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

Way to go with all these regulations. If SHTF we no longer make the tools to make the machines to keep our factories going. A lot of the new regulations that they are coming out with is in fact a way to let the 3rd world countries catch up to us. But more likely will bring us down to their level and of course when ever they have an international meeting, China is given an exemption even though they are the biggest polluters.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

The last smelter shut down is a minor event in reality because we still recycle most of the lead we use in the country but it is significant in that it will cost the jobs for the employees, transportation industry, and those that support, or are supported by, the smelter. 

This is a case of removing industries that are key to the defense of our nation. Where will the military get their lead for; bullets, ballast, reactor shielding, etc.?


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## dannydefense (Oct 9, 2013)

PaulS said:


> This is a case of removing industries that are key to the defense of our nation. Where will the military get their lead for; bullets, ballast, reactor shielding, etc.?


Isn't that just part of the new crisis paradigm? We supply the enemy with the guns, the enemy now supplies us with the lead! Then both sides send in their kids as fodder.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

PaulS said:


> The last smelter shut down is a minor event in reality because we still recycle most of the lead we use in the country but it is significant in that it will cost the jobs for the employees, transportation industry, and those that support, or are supported by, the smelter.
> 
> This is a case of removing industries that are key to the defense of our nation. Where will the military get their lead for; bullets, ballast, reactor shielding, etc.?


I am not sure there isn't some purpose to all the factories being dismantled, We won ww-2 because of our manufacturing ability, that now has been greatly reduced. Lake City is now the only small ammunition factory we have for the military. During the Iraq war (the first one at least) you couldn't hardly buy ammo or reloading supplies because all the commercial factories were busy trying to keep the military supplied.


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## BigCheeseStick (Aug 7, 2013)

The whole manufacturing process is toxic as hell from beginning to end with poison waste produced by the mega tons. Sorry, but unless we're seriously considering locking down our borders and becoming a REAL sovereign nation, let that crap go over seas. Import the finished product cleanly packaged and be happy about it!


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

I don't suppose too many people remember the shortages during the second world war but you couldn't get tires for your cars because we lost our importer for raw rubber, steel and copper were in short supply as was zinc. Everything was rationed simply because we didn't have the ability to use our own raw materials. We are headed back in that direction. We import most of our steel because the foundries here have closed. Ever try to make ships and tanks without steel? Two of the nations largest aluminum smelters shut down in Washington state a few years ago - now Boeing is importing aluminum assemblies that are built in China. We are just about in the same situation as we were before WW II. 
It will take years to gear back up for large scale manufacturing of heavy equipment, electrical equipment and electronics. We will need to rebuild our steel and aluminum industries and invent an electronics industry and find new resources to feed them.


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## Arizona Infidel (Oct 5, 2013)

BigCheeseStick said:


> The whole manufacturing process is toxic as hell from beginning to end with poison waste produced by the mega tons. Sorry, but unless we're seriously considering locking down our borders and becoming a REAL sovereign nation, let that crap go over seas. Import the finished product cleanly packaged and be happy about it!


Anyone else see the irony in the guy with Reardon Steal in his avatar posting this?


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

BigCheeseStick said:


> The whole manufacturing process is toxic as hell from beginning to end with poison waste produced by the mega tons. Sorry, but unless we're seriously considering locking down our borders and becoming a REAL sovereign nation, let that crap go over seas. Import the finished product cleanly packaged and be happy about it!


I remember people saying we are going to be a consumer nation. Other countries will have the factories and we will buy their products. 
Now how long is that going to work when the other countries realize that we are just printing money, buying their products that the work hard to make. What happens when they all of a sudden demand 10x for their product. I can tell you our currency would only be worth 1/10 what it was. Don't worry China is very happy to take our factories but what happens when they get to a point that instead of selling to us they can sell to the 1/2 billion of their own population that is living in poverty. In the long run those with the factories will decide what the price for their products will be.


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## StarPD45 (Nov 13, 2012)

This is just another nail in the coffin that used to be the United States of America.\
All thanks to Obummer, his handlers, and his sycophants.


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## BigCheeseStick (Aug 7, 2013)

Arizona Infidel said:


> Anyone else see the irony in the guy with Reardon Steal in his avatar posting this?


As far as this being "ammunition Armageddon"... What about tungsten and all the other substitutes they're using in place of lead?

But yeah, if somebody else can make a product cleaner, simpler, cheaper, faster, better than us.... *YUP, sounds EXACTLY like the Reardon Steel concept to me!* Survival of the fittest in the business world without government interference. Wasn't that the point? If our manufacturing plants are failures (if they weren't they wouldn't be going out of business would they?), let somebody else step up and do the job better. Survival of the fittest.

The reality is US manufacturing will never again be competitive in a world market as long as labor unions are insisting the guy pushing a broom and cleaning toilets is getting paid $25 an hour. And everybody else gets three times what he does. Add to this the proud, lazy, "entitled" American worker... We're DOOMED!

Does the truth hurt? Irony?


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

BigCheeseStick said:


> As far as this being "ammunition Armageddon"... What about tungsten and all the other substitutes they're using in place of lead?
> 
> But yeah, if somebody else can make a product cleaner, simpler, cheaper, faster, better than us.... *YUP, sounds EXACTLY like the Reardon Steel concept to me!* Survival of the fittest in the business world without government interference. Wasn't that the point? If our manufacturing plants are failures (if they weren't they wouldn't be going out of business would they?), let somebody else step up and do the job better. Survival of the fittest.
> 
> ...


The truth of the mater is automation is making a lot of factory workers obsolete doesn't mater what you are willing to pay them or how cheep they will work for. A modern automotive factory it take 6000 people to make 2000 cars a day and that includes administrative work, that is equivalent to 3 men making a car in one day and that was a few years ago. One section alone has around 2000 robots and there isn't any 4 people alive that could do the work of a robot. No human can handle a 250 lb spot welder like a toy or do repetitive task all day long. China may find in the future that they have this huge population that they will not be able to find work for. Unions are definitely a part of the reason factories have left but I would guess the EPA and fear of law suits are just as much a reason. It is not survival of the fittest because of the EPA and OSHA we are at a great disadvantage.


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## PrepperLite (May 8, 2013)

BigCheeseStick said:


> The whole manufacturing process is toxic as hell from beginning to end with poison waste produced by the mega tons. Sorry, but unless we're seriously considering locking down our borders and becoming a REAL sovereign nation, let that crap go over seas. *Import the finished product cleanly packaged *and be happy about it!


_Caveat: I have never read from this site, a friend at work showed me this today so i am not sure of their validity:_
The Government War on Ammo ? LewRockwell.com

The thing that bothers me is this 


From Above Link said:


> Furthermore, in April of this year James Rawles of SurvivalBlog.com detailed new importation restrictions set forth in a Presidential Executive Action following the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, which *bans the importation *of military surplus items that include magazines, firearms accessories and, of course, *foreign ammunition*.
> 
> Couple this with the implementation of U.N. "authorized" trade restrictions set forth in the new UN Arms Trade Treaty, and you can see where this is headed.


No importing it either!


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## BigCheeseStick (Aug 7, 2013)

Lead going up, silver and gold falling through the floor for years on end. Current Gold Price Chart - Price of Gold - Spot Gold Price Per Ounce

Who'd a thunk it?


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## Arizona Infidel (Oct 5, 2013)

BigCheeseStick said:


> As far as this being "ammunition Armageddon"... What about tungsten and all the other substitutes they're using in place of lead?
> 
> But yeah, if somebody else can make a product cleaner, simpler, cheaper, faster, better than us.... *YUP, sounds EXACTLY like the Reardon Steel concept to me!* Survival of the fittest in the business world without government interference. Wasn't that the point? If our manufacturing plants are failures (if they weren't they wouldn't be going out of business would they?), let somebody else step up and do the job better. Survival of the fittest.
> 
> ...


 Bull shit. This plant was closed because of GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION. Every excuse you posted had nothing to do with it. The government ran em out of business.


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## BigCheeseStick (Aug 7, 2013)

Arizona Infidel said:


> except that this plant was closed because of GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION. Every excuse you posted had nothing to do with it. The government ran em out of business.


No excuses. And I'm not surprised the same government that thinks it's a good idea to pay our farmers to not grow crops would "rail road" (excuse the pun! ) a company out of business if that same government stands to gain in some way through trade agreements or taxes or something.

Just another disgusting display of greed, corruption and misuse of their power.

YET, I still say let the Chinese have that business. Better their land and citizens get poisoned and die cancerous horrible deaths than ours!


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## Arizona Infidel (Oct 5, 2013)

And then when the ChiComs decide to cut off our lead supply, then what? This is a traitorous action by 2 presidents. Bush for letting it become a rule, and Obama for letting it happen. This is a threat to our national security. It also causes our govt. to be more dependent on the ChiComs. 
So I disagree with your idea to send to china the ability to shut off our means to defend ourselves and our country, FROM THEM.


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## Verteidiger (Nov 16, 2012)

I know there are a lot of Secondary lead smelters still in full operation and they are churning out lead ingots as fast as their blast furnace will make them. I've seen it with my own eyes.

Exide Batteries runs a lead acid battery recycling operation. Pallets of LA batteries come in by the truckload, from recycling centers and auto shops. They run the batteries up a conveyor ramp, and they crash to the floor of a pit which cracks the casing, causing the acid to spill out, which is collected by drains and sumps in the floor and recycled. 

The cracked batteries go through a crusher that smashes the cracked casing and separates it from the lead plates. The plastic is shredded and recycled; the paper separators between plates are discarded, and the lead is bulk binned to be fed into a shredder and hammer mill before being conveyered to the blast furnace, where the dross is pulled off and impurities that surface in the crucibles are skimmed off, and the lead ingots are poured.

This goes on 24/7/365. Demand is at an all time high.

Primary smelters make lead from ore, and are heavy polluters. The regulations in the US ratcheted down on past practices, and it became too expensive to comply, so business people close the plant rather than make expensive improvements that have a long return on investment timeframe.

But lead is one of the easiest metals to reclaim, so there will be more than enough to make ammo.

This one plant processes 50,000 car batteries a day, and there are many more like it in the USA.

End of an era, yes. End of ammo and lead for other uses, not gonna happen in our lifetimes....


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## Arizona Infidel (Oct 5, 2013)

That is an incorrect conclusion. With no new supply coming in the existing supply will dwindle. Not everyone goes shooting at a range where ammo is reclaimed. Not every battery is recycled. Even if every battery was recycled and there was an attempt to recover every bullet there would still be a parasitic loss. And this doesn't even take into account all the ammo used up fighting a war. We have doomed ourselves to a finite supply. This is a mistake.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

This is a link to Sierra Bullets response to the closer of the plant:

Sierra Responds: How Will the Closure of the Lead Smelting Plant Affect Sierra Bullets? : All Self-Sustained


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## ekim (Dec 28, 2012)

As Arizona Infidel said, we have shot ourselves in the foot. The response from Sierra is BS / PC crap. This will effect supply / price and the time frame will not be long term. This is just another slight of hand move of the government doing what ever it can to control things.


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## alterego (Jan 27, 2013)

There is no way that the bullets I fire at my house can be recycled. Those rounds are consumed and not being replaced with new supply. Recycling always has a loss factor no matter what. You Would need to be a simple minded fool to believe you can stop all new production and recycle enough of a product to supply an end user of a rifle projectile manufacturer in war time. They could not keep up with demand and are still not keeping up with demand now. Where are the 22 LR shells for example. 

Also if you Dont remember the women after sandy hook talking about stopping production of ammunition your memory is terrible.


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