They must also hold for 45 days the shipment overseas of scrap metals in yet another government effort to locate stolen copper wire.
Acting Commerce Secretary Edmund S. Villagomez approved the new recycling rules and regulations published in the Commonwealth Register.
The public has 30 days to comment from Oct. 25 about these rules.
“It is the intent of the Department of Commerce to define the rules and regulations set forth by Public Law 15-36 to establish the general practices governing recycling business that are involved in the transaction of copper and other scrap metals,” Commerce stated.
It defined copper as encompassing all different forms, including tubing, sheets, gutters, down spouts, bars, bare wire or cable, insulated wire or cable and aluminum/copper coil used in air conditioning and refrigeration.
Scrap metal, on the other hand, means all types of metals, including iron, steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, lead and zinc.
The secretary of Commerce must license each recycling center and is empowered to suspend or revoke any issued license for a cause. Annual business license fee is set at $50.
Recycling centers will be required to keep a written record of transactions at all times in English which will include the printed legal name and signature of the person selling the scrap metal.
The seller must also sign an endorsement of an acknowledgment form consenting to the video and other recording methods of the transaction.
Moreover, the recycling centers must require the seller to submit a clear photocopy of a valid government issued identification card like a driver’s license, a passport, etc., that contains the photograph and physical description of the individual who is selling the copper metal.
These records must be kept at the recycling centers for at least two years.
“The recycler shall furnish requested documents to the Department of Commerce or the Department of Public Safety within 48 hours from the time of request and agree that all documents provided to either department to be full, true, or a correct copy of all transactions,” Commerce stated.
“The recycler shall provide closed circuit video recorded copies of all transactions involving copper….,” it added and noted that the video recordings shall be kept for at least six months in the recycling centers.
CUC blamed several incidents of blackouts to copper wire thefts. The biggest incident occurred at the government-owned La Fiesta Mall.
Close to $500,000 worth of copper wire belonging to CUC was stolen from the former mall.
