Motor vehicle salvage yards in Minnesota
Motor vehicle salvage facilities play a valuable role by recovering and reselling usable parts from worn-out or damaged vehicles, then recycling the unusable materials. In the process, salvage yards generate wastes that can be harmful to public health and the environment if allowed to contaminate soil, air or surface and ground water.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) created a manual to help salvage yard owners, operators and employees manage wastes safely. The manual is no longer available in hard copy format, but may be printed for your own use from this electronic version.
The MPCA does not operate a salvage yard program at this time; however, complaints about mismanagement of waste by businesses, including salvage yards, are still accepted and acted upon. You may submit a complaint on our Citizen Complaint page.
Salvage yard manual
The Motor Vehicle Salvage Facility Environmental Compliance Manual may be viewed as a complete file or by individual chapters.
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Motor Vehicle Salvage Facility Environmental Compliance Manual (salvageyard-manual) (file size = 1 Mb)
Individual Chapters
- Title page and table of contents (salvageyards-toc)
Introduction and How to Use this Manual- Chapter 1: General Operating Procedures
- Inspecting Incoming Vehicles
- Spill Control -- Prevention and Clean Up
- Storm Water Management
- Parts Cleaning
- Vehicle Crushing
- Chapter 2: Draining, Dismantling and Storage Practices
- General Practices
- Engines
- Transmissions
- Radiators and Heater Cores
- Fuel Tanks
- Air Bags
- Chapter 3: Waste Handling, Storage and Disposal Practices
- Used Oils
- Used Oil Filters
- Antifreeze
- Fuel
- Refrigerant
- Lead-acid Batteries
- Lead Parts
- Mercury Switches (Also see Minnesota Mercury Recovery Program
) - Waste Tires
- Catalytic Converters
- Window-washing Fluid
- Appliances
- A Quick Guide to Managing Wastes
(Note: The Quick Guide is designed to be printed on 11 X 17-inch paper.)
