Scrap Metal Businesses warn state's Copper Wire Theft Law could shut down industry, lawsuit says
MINNEAPOLIS — A month before a new state law takes effect, scrap metal workers are suing the Minnesota Department of Commerce. The Copper Wire Theft Law aims to make it more difficult for thieves to steal the metal, which has been a problem in recent years in cities across the state. In 2023, the City of Saint Paul said it spent $1.2 million repairing and replacing streetlights and signals that were damaged by copper wire thieves.
"In some cases we've seen recently fixed or replaced streetlights that were targeted and stripped literally the next day," said Mayor Melvin Carter in April.
Starting January 1, a new state law will require people selling copper to pay for a $250 license. The Recycled Materials Association or ReMA represents scrap metal businesses and is suing the state over the law, claiming it will 'effectively shut down Minnesota's "scrap metal" industry.' They argue the bill is too broad.
"All kinds of different things can contain elements and traces of copper, and unfortunately, the law didn't talk about what copper is specifically and there's no other statutory definition," ReMA Lobbyist Jeremy Estenson said.
Estenson says they worry the bill will deter people from recycling.
"We think there's some room to do additional record keeping, but what we don't want to see is impairing an average person's ability to recycle copper. And we think a license fee as high as proposed in the bill is too much," he said.
Advocates of the bill argue the financial and safety cost of copper wire theft is higher.
"We share the goal of stopping copper thieves. Our goal is to get some temporary relief while we work with the stakeholders and the lawmakers who passed the bill last year to come up with something that does work," Estebson said.
WCCO reached out to the Minnesota Department of Commerce for comment on this lawsuit but have yet to hear back.