Kroot employs a sediment trap, oil water separator, and oil water evaporator to ensure contaminants associated with scrap metal recycling do not contaminate the surrounding environment. In 1997, Kroot constructed a 12,000 square foot building to temporarily house all oil laden scrap metal and equipment that enter the facility to ensure these oily scrap products are not exposed to storm water. This building, in conjunction with the oil water evaporator, ensures that oily scrap metal accepted by Kroot is appropriately stored, drained, and disposed in accordance with state and federal regulations. These capital investments greatly reduce our potential to have adverse environmental impacts on the community.

Kroot continually invests in improvements and programs that protect the environment to include surfacing the entire scrap yard with concrete, installing state-of-the-art stormwater processing equipment, and implementation of our refrigerant recovery program. The scrap yard is completely covered with 12” of concrete to ensure contaminants on scrap metal purchased by Kroot do not leak into the soil. Our stormwater processing equipment allows for all water contacting the concrete pad to run through systems to separate oil, sediment, and trash before being discharged into detention basins where infiltration can be managed. Our refrigerant recovery program employs properly certified refrigerant recovery technicians to remove all refrigerants from appliances and vehicles to ensure they are not released into the atmosphere.

Kroot believes that a clean and organized facility not only improves customer relations, but additionally fosters a safe and efficient workplace. We strive to embody the old adage “a place for everything and everything in its place!” All non-ferrous scrap materials are processed inside our Non-Ferrous Building to ensure organization, proper storage, and security of incoming materials. All ferrous scrap materials entering Kroot are stored on concrete pads and in concrete lined storage bins before being sorted by our fleet of cranes and ultimately processed for end-of-life recycling by our balers or shear. Our state-of-the-art retail steel facility is expertly organized to ensure our ability to fill our customers’ orders quickly and accurately. 

VET developed and has implemented a thorough inspection program that frequently evaluates all areas of Kroot’s property and its operation from first aid kits all the way through visible emissions from our aluminum sweat furnace. Kroot’s team is trained to efficiently identify spills and is well versed in clean-up procedures ensuring accidental spills are remedied responsibly and immediately. Kroot has dedicated the resources to employ a street sweeper to wet sweep dust and debris that naturally accumulate in the yard multiple times per week to reduce the possibility of fugitive dust migrating across property boundaries. The strict organization of scrap materials in conjunction with thorough cleaning procedures, and frequent inspection of work areas, ensures Kroot can efficiently meet the needs of our many loyal customers – every day.

Kroot utilizes scale radiation detectors produced by ThermoFisher Scientific to screen all incoming and outgoing loads for the presence of radioactive materials in accordance with guidelines established by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. Kroot follows a written procedure for all radioactive loads that are detected by our scale radiation detectors. The procedure includes scanning the load multiple times with the radiation detectors and utilizing a RadEye Personal Radiation Detector to pinpoint the source of radiation to ensure proper storage, transportation, and disposal. The RadEye is specifically designed for search and find operations, and additionally provides dose rate measurements to ensure the personal safety of our employees and customers.