Dive Summary:

• Sims Metal Management has agreed to pay a fine of $4.1 million to settle a civil case brought against it by the city of San Francisco and Contra Costa County, California.
• The metal recycling company, based in New York, violated California laws put in place to thwart and identify metal theft by skirting required procedures that ensure scrap metal is not stolen.
• During an investigation, it was determined that the plant repeatedly failed to follow protocol, resulting in the lawsuit against the company.

From the article:

The company also will be bound by a permanent injunction that ensures good business practices and prohibits future violations of the law, the district attorneys say. By entering into this injunction, SMM is agreeing to procedures that will make it a model for California metal recyclers in the future.

Contra Costa County’s District Attorney Mark Peterson says, "the Contra Costa and San Francisco District Attorney’s Offices are working together to make metal theft less appealing for thieves by helping to ensure that recycling companies follow the law.”