PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Oregon environmental regulators have hit NW Metals Inc. with a new six-figure penalty, alleging the metal recycling business has operated at multiple North Portland properties without key pollution permits — the latest escalation in a regulatory fight that traces back to a notorious 2018 scrapyard fire that forced evacuations, damaged nearby structures and triggered years of enforcement actions and litigation.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says the penalty, issued Nov. 4, 2025, involves NW Metals’ operations at 8140 N. Commercial Ave. and waste left behind at 9537 N. Columbia Blvd. DEQ says the company did not have required permits for solid waste, air quality, and stormwater, and also left or disposed of solid waste at the Columbia Boulevard property without a solid waste permit.
DEQ says the company’s unpermitted operations included processing discarded vehicles, fluids and tires, and operating shredding equipment without permit-required controls…