Approximately 50 people attended the Recycling Association of North Carolina (RANC) event held at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C., on Aug. 8. Sen. Tommy Tucker was awarded the 2013 RANC Leadership Award for his outstanding leadership on issues of importance to the association. In addition, Richard Gilbert presented continuous training courses and certification in OSHA Revised Hazard Communication Standard (HCS 2012) and N.C. State Metal Theft Law. Future legislation that could possibly affect the recycling industry was discussed.

Speakers at the event included Sen. Tucker. Sen. Tucker spoke about the impact that RANC had on legislative accomplishments concerning metal theft. He also discussed how RANC encourages cooperation by educating the legislators, law enforcement and the public on how valuable recycling is to the economy and what the industry is doing to comply with the law.

Attorneys Ed Turlington of Brooks Pierce law firm and William P. H. Cary of Brooks Pierce law firm also spoke at the event. Mr. Turlington provided an overview of RANC 2013 legislative efforts and guidelines for effective communication on behalf of the industry. Mr. Cary spoke about dealing with the regulator and tips on managing a relationship with DENR.

RANC was organized to give those in the North Carolina metals recycling industry a voice in the constant fight against materials theft crime and to help change the potentially negative perception held in the community regarding the industry. RANC’s goals are to serve public interests, provide a means of communication between RANC and all other groups interested in or affected by the metal recycling industry. The organization uses all lawful means to bring about closer cooperation, goodwill and friendly interaction among everyone involved in all aspects of the scrap industry, law enforcement, legislation and the public.

“One of our main goals of the Recycling Association of North Carolina has been and will continue to be to change the image of our industry,” said Mike Torrence, vice president of Recycling Association of North Carolina. “We are a vital part of our communities on a local, state and national level. Our organization from its conception is not only striving to comply with the laws, but to improve them and to help legislators, law enforcement, local citizens, utility companies and communication companies and many, many more entities come together to help to stop metal theft and to understand each of our roles in this task. Our education efforts will hopefully let all of these entities know that we are part of the solution and RANC members will continue to do their part to combat metal theft. One of the main forces against metal theft is the noncompliant metal recycling yards, however, with the combined forces that have been established between RANC, law enforcement and legislators, we believe we are making strides to bring them into compliance or for them to cease operation.”

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