US Magnesium, a manufacturing giant in the United States that manufactures and supplies materials that are critical to the country’s defense efforts, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to several environmental pollution disputes and $200 million in liabilities.
Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) announced its plans to terminate the company’s operating leases along Salt Lake after issuing concerns related to how the Rowley site is being maintained by the company, citing fears that hazardous materials could leak into the lake. While talks between the two took place last year after FFSL filed a lawsuit accusing the company of putting the public and the environment at risk, concerns have not been alleviated.
A 2023 study conducted by the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environment Studies revealed the US Magnesium refinery produced “emissions of chlorine and bromine,” and was a “significant” contributor to persistent “winter brown clouds.”
In a statement issued by US Magnesium, the company said it hopes the filing will “[provide] a framework to preserve the value of our business, honor our commitments to employees and partners, and continue our longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship while being a key domestic supplier of critical minerals for many years to come.”
