Vehicle Dismantling Facilities (VDFs) decommission, dismantle, and recycle end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). Automobile recycling is one of the largest recycling industries in the United States, recovering scrap steel and other metals for manufacturing of new products. Without proper waste handling, however, auto recycling can cause significant environmental impacts.
DEC regulates VDFs through 6 NYCRR 361-7 of the Solid Waste Management Regulations. This Subpart includes solid waste management requirements for VDFs that crush, shred, and dismantle passenger cars, trucks and other end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), generating fluids such as refrigerants, oil, transmission fluid, and waste components such as mercury switches, lead-acid batteries and PCB capacitors, etc.
VDFs are often confronted with issues related to stormwater, hazardous waste under Part 371, air emissions, petroleum spills and other environmental concerns in addition to solid waste management issues. Subpart 361-7 is intended, together with other applicable environmental regulations, to prevent pollution from dismantling of ELVs.
Types of VDFs
Unless exempt, VDFs must be registered under New York State Solid Waste Management Regulations. As of September 2022, there are approximately 459 registered VDFs statewide. To locate VDFs near you, please visit this Interactive Map of VDFs (link leaves DEC's website).
Exempt Facilities
Any facility is exempt pursuant to Section 361-7.2 if it stores no more than 50 ELVs on-site at any one time.
Registered Facilities - Small
VDFs must register with DEC under the following circumstances as specified in Section 361-7.3 and comply with the VDF Design and Operating Requirements in Section 361-7.4 if they meet the following criteria:
- VDFs receive more than 25 ELVs per year or store more than 50 ELVs on-site at any time.
- Motor vehicle repair shops who are registered with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles that store more than 50 ELVs on site at any one time.
- Mobile vehicle crushers.
Note that operating criteria include specific requirements in ECL Article 27, Title 23 for fluids removal and reporting by Vehicle Dismantlers as defined in this law (entities who receive more than 25 ELVs per year and storing more than 50 ELVs).
Annual Reporting
All registration holders are required to submit an annual report to the Department each year before March 1, pursuant to Section 361-7.6 and 6 NYCRR 360.19(k).
Blank annual report forms for the current year can be found here (PDF).
Inspection
DEC inspects registered VDFs to ensure that the facilities are compliance with relevant provisions of Subpart 361-7. For details about routine inspection logs, see 360.19(k)(2). Please click here for blank copy of the Metal Processing and Vehicle Dismantling Facility Inspection Report form.
