MR3 pulls out of Butte

While actively working to resolve issues with its landlord, the Department of Environmental Quality and a few disgruntled employees, MR3 Systems
announced this week that it is per manently closing its Butte facility and equipment will be moved to a new plant in Empire, Colo.

By Leslie McCartney of The Montana Standard

In April, that Butte business — a zinc sulfate producer and metal extractor — was hit with allegations of unpaid rent and leaving 13 tons of hazardous
waste on its site in the Industrial Park south of town. In addition, it faced complaints from local vendors and employees that it owed them thousands
of dollars.
“ We are in the process right now of dismantling the facility,” said Larry Hopper, president of MR3, from his home in Pittsburgh.
He added that the company is in the process of cleaning up other things as well and has resolved dif ferences with landlords, employees and
vendors with legitimate bills.
“ We are sorting through what is legitimate and what is not,” he said.
One of the larger issues is a fine from the Department of Environmental Quality — $38,250 — for MR3’s violation of regulations by keeping the waste
on site longer than 90 days. As a company official, Hopper promised that all waste will be gone from the site — some solid waste outside and
product remaining in tanks — within seven to 10 days.
“ It would be nice if that would happen,” said Bob Reinke, a haz ardous waste specialist with the DEQ and one of the people over seeing the MR3
case. Reinke — while noting that the material in the tanks is hazardous and samples of outside waste are still being
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analyzed — makes it clear that the on-site waste is well contained and covered and does not pose a risk to anyone.
Hopper also gave a nearly iden tical assessment: At no time was anyone in danger from the materi al, and the waste was packaged, labeled and
secured, he said.
Hopper hinted that the company will be dealing with DEQ’s findings and the fine because the company is unhappy with DEQ’s interpreta tion of the
rules in reference to MR3’s waste. The company views some of the contents of the materi al as product and said the tanks’ content is only classified
as waste because it sat in the tanks for three months while the company mulled the future of the Butte plant.
“ There was never any intent to circumvent any laws or regulations and MR3’s intent was openly com municated to all the parties involved,”
according to a company statement.
The hazardous waste issue with MR3 is an extremely complex one, involving three separate waste streams, all subject to different regulations at
different times. However, the possibility exists that more fines and orders could be headed MR3’s way if it is found in violation.
Reinke declined to comment on MR3’s cooperation in the DEQ’s efforts to investigate the waste and subsequent findings. “ I will tell you they have
not adequately responded to earlier administrative orders,” he said.
Hopper also disputed news reports, given in a statement by the firm’s Butte attorney, that MR3 was shopping for a buyer for its technology. In fact,
he said, it has never been for sale since the company intends to use the proprietary technology in its future ventures.
Those ventures include extracting gold in tailings and dumps in Colorado and a joint venture for a metals processing plant in Taiwan.
Hopper said MR3’s decision to leave Butte was made because of the plant location and its distance from markets. Ultimately, transportation costs
were the deciding factor since markets for its products were thousands of miles away.
“ The selected site for the plant placed MR3’s facility in the middle of the business park that was not compatible with the type of plant MR3 would
operate,” the company said. Rather, the plant was supposed to be a demonstration facility, not a manufacturing plant.
The future of MR3 in Butte came into question last year after workers — some of whom have claims against the company for back wages and
vacation time — allegedly walked off the job and complaints surfaced of hazardous waste left at the plant.
The company is working to resolve issues with former employees, and a few may be offered jobs with the company elsewhere, Hopper said.
Reporter Leslie McCartney can be reached via e-mail at leslie.mccartney(at)(at)mtstandard.com.

http://www.mtstandard.com/newslocal/localnews1.html