EPA public meeting on Eagle Zinc smelter site cleanup

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans a public meeting on Wednesday to explain a proposed interim cleanup plan for the former Eagle Zinc smelter. The agency proposes a $1.9 million plan to tear down buildings and other structures on the 132-acre site, operated as a smelter from 1912-2003. Debris from the demolition would then be covered with a foot of soil and maintained until the agency undertakes other additional cleanup measures. The site was added to the federal Superfund list of hazardous-waste sites in 2007. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Hillsboro High School, 522 East Tremont Street. Hillsboro is about 50 miles northeast of St. Louis. Comments will be accepted at the meeting or via the Internet at www.epa.gov/region5/publiccomment through June 18.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/739D9E6DD91E7131862575BF0011FC6F?OpenDocument

Zinc makes sustainability child's play

Case study from VM Zinc (Umicore) about Falmouth School illustrates the diverse use of zinc.

Falmouth School's striking new 'saw-tooth' shaped Design and Technology Block is a perfect example of the design scope that zinc provides.

VM Zinc standing seam roofing and cladding systems for Falmouth School

Its increasing popularity for diverse projects owes much to the unique, lasting, pre-weathered colours in which VM Zinc manufactures standing seam roofing and cladding systems.

David Pierce of Architects Urban Salon explained "We wanted the Falmouth design to appear as a series of folded planes, with walls and roof clad in the same material".

"It was crucial that the product we specified worked well on both surfaces, and using zinc meant that we didn't need to compromise on the design".

http://www.buildingtalk.com/news/umi/umi117.html

ISRI-Slow recovery means gradual zinc, lead price gains

LAS VEGAS, April 30 (Reuters) - Zinc and lead prices will remain low through 2009 as the global economy contracts, but their average prices should rise gradually heading into 2010 as demand picks up amid modest economic improvement, a senior industry analyst said.

Addressing participants at this year's Institute for Scrap Recycling Industries' (ISRI) convention, Robin Bhar, senior metals analyst at Calyon Credit Agricole in London, shared his preliminary outlook for economic and metal price turnaround.

Bhar's early forecasts show sizeable contractions for the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Latin American economies this year, along with much slower growth for developing countries.

"Countries that were growing very quickly will not be immune to the global slowdown. Because they are export oriented, China, Japan and Germany will have problems," he said, predicting a 1.0 percent contraction in world GDP.

Calyon sees 2010 as a year of recovery and a return to growth, though at rates below previous recessions, as debt that now saddles many countries carrying out huge fiscal stimulus plans will have to be settled. The trend of paying down debt will extend to individuals and businesses as well.

"Because of that, unlike in previous recessions, recovery will take much longer than we've seen in the past," Bhar said.

But massive injections of liquidity and interest rates close to zero in many countries will help stabilize the economy and encourage recovery going forward.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/motoringAutoNews/idUKN3014412820090501