Auto Salvage & Your Community
Table of Contents
- Who Regulates the Auto Salvage Industry?
- What Is IDEM's Role?
- Should I Call IDEM or a Local Governmental Agency?
- What Is Zoning and Who Enforces It?
- Who Handles Fencing and Right-of-Way Concerns?
- Who Handles Health and Safety Concerns?
- What Can Be Done About Noise and/or Odor Emanating From Auto Salvage Yards?
- How Can I Determine If an Auto Salvage Facility Is Operating Legally?
- Are There Other Local Sources of Information?
- How Can I Better Understand State and Federal Laws and Participate When IDEM Proposes Changes to Environmental Rules, or Makes Decisions on Environmental Permits or Cleanup Actions?
Who Regulates the Auto Salvage Industry?
The auto salvage industry is regulated by local, state, and federal agencies. This fact sheet provides an overview of the issues handled by each particular agency and includes contact information so citizens will know who to call about their concerns.
What Is IDEM's Role?
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) oversees and enforces many laws and statutes regarding environmental issues, including solid and hazardous waste, air, and storm water issues specific to the auto salvage industry.
Auto salvage facilities often require permits and registrations from IDEM:
- Registering a Waste Tire Collection, Storage, or Disposal Operation
- Required if facility stores more than 1,000 waste tires outdoors or more than 2,000 waste tires indoors
- Industrial Storm Water Permit
- Required for nearly all salvage yards
- Registering as a Hazardous Waste Generator
- Required for facilities that generate or dispose of more than 220lbs, but less than 2,200 lbs. of hazardous waste during any calendar month of the previous calendar year, or who accumulate onsite at any time a total of less than 6,000 kilograms (13,227 pounds, or 6.61 tons) of hazardous waste
IDEM also checks for the following permit/registrations required by other state and federal agencies when conducting auto salvage facility inspections.
- U.S. EPA > Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (40 CFR Part 112)
- Required by EPA for non-transportation-related facilities with a total aboveground (i.e., not completely buried) oil storage capacity of greater than 1,320 gallons
- Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Dealer Services
- U.S. EPA > Recovering Refrigerant at Salvage Yards and Other Motor Vehicle Disposal Facilities
- For recovering refrigerant at salvage yards and other motor vehicle disposal facilities
Should I Call IDEM or a Local Governmental Agency?
In general, IDEM regulates industry and businesses while local agencies regulate private home and land owners with respect to environmental issues. However, local agencies, such as air quality agencies and local health departments, regulate businesses as well. There are many, many other non-environmentally related issues regarding the auto salvage industry that may concern citizens. Several of these issues are out of the scope of IDEM's legislative control. IDEM and local agencies work together to regulate the auto salvage sector based on the issue at hand.
What Is Zoning and Who Enforces It?
Zoning is defined as the method used by a governmental unit to identify specific uses for specific properties. Zoning enables the regulation of land according to the nature and use of the land. Zoning of land into use categories permits the enjoyment of all property rights, as long as the owner does not infringe upon or impair the exercise of the same rights of others. A comprehensive zoning plan is usually part of a larger community plan.
Zoning is enforced by city councils, town boards-of-trustees, and county commissioners. Any town, city, or county government can enforce zoning, acting jointly where several units have common interest, or acting independently. Once zoning is established, the rules regarding zoning specify what can go where. County commissioners have planning and zoning authority. Find your county commissioner online.
Who Handles Fencing and Right-of-Way Concerns?
The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) oversees fencing laws that apply to many salvage and scrap operations. See IC 8-23-20-17 and IC 8-23-20-18. Questions about fencing requirements should be directed to the InDOT District Office in your area. You may also call INDOT at (317) 232-5533.
Who Handles Health and Safety Concerns?
Health and safety concerns handled by IDEM center around the safety of drinking water, improper management of hazardous wastes, and the open dumping of garbage and tires. Visit IDEM's Complaint Clearinghouse to file a complaint with IDEM.
Concerns commonly handled by local health departments include the outdoor storage of appliances with doors intact, vermin, and mosquito larvae in tires stored outdoors.
The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Industrial Safety Division addresses workplace safety concerns. Reach them by phone at (317) 232-2693.
What Can Be Done About Noise and/or Odor Emanating From Auto Salvage Yards?
While there are currently no state rules regarding noise and odor concerns, local agencies may have ordinances addressing these issues. Local and county health department phone numbers can be found in the government section of your white pages or on the Indiana State Department of Health Web site. Local law enforcement phone numbers can also be found in the government section of your white pages.
How Can I Determine If an Auto Salvage Facility Is Operating Legally?
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles requires that all auto salvage yards register with their agency. For more information, contact the Dealer/Special Sales Division:
6400 E. 30th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46219
(317) 591-5301
Are There Other Local Sources of Information?
Solid waste management districts are a valuable source of information for the public. Districts establish solid waste management policies that reflects the needs of the district and provide an integrated approach to solid waste management. Visit IDEM's directory of Indiana solid waste management districts or obtain district contact information by contacting the Association of Indiana Solid Waste Management Districts:
899 S. College Mall Rd.
Bloomington, IN 47401
(812) 349-2117
(812) 349-2872 fax
- What should I do with my old computers and electronics?
- Where can I recycle?
- What are “Pay-as-You-Throw” programs?
- How can I get funding for recycling programs?
- What is “household hazardous waste”?
- Why is mercury dangerous?
- Where can I find information about available IDEM grants, loans, or funds?
- What is composting and how do I do it?
- What are the benefits of recycling?
- Where can I find information about flooding?
