ASA Forms Coalition to Address Copper Theft
ASA, along with several business groups and associations has formed the Coalition against Copper Theft to raise the awareness in Congress about increasing thievery of metals, such as copper. With rising metal prices in recent years – copper has doubled in just two years -- so has the number of theft cases.
On May 15, ASA and others in the Coalition sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Chairman and the Ranking Minority Member to bring the seriousness of the theft issue to their attention (see copy below). In the letter, we also informed them of our support for legislation requiring that the transactions between the sellers of the copper and the metal recyclers be documented. Without any records of these transactions, law enforcement officers have difficulty in tracking hard-to-trace metal objects sold to scrap dealers.
The Coalition recently created a website (www.coppercoalition.com) which provides additional information on the issue. Use it to discover ways to address this issue in your business.
101 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20001
phone: (202) 742-4462
fax: (202) 772-2496
www.coppercoalition.com
May 15, 2008
The Honorable Arlen Specter
Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
152 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Specter:
We, the undersigned associations, write to bring to your attention a growing criminal trend in the United States that adversely affects thousands of home and business owners, jeopardizes our nation’s critical infrastructure, further endangers the fragile real estate market, and exacerbates the use of illegal drugs.
Since 2006, metal theft has been on the rise, largely due to a surge in the global demand for scrap metal. As you may be aware, the price of copper has risen from around $2 per pound in mid-2006 to more than $4 per pound in early 2008.
Theft of copper has plagued the country and is harming taxpayers, public utility companies, private companies, and private individuals. In the United States, air conditioning units, among other things, are being stolen from homes and businesses, costing building and home owners thousands of dollars to replace the systems. Foreclosed homes that are vacant provide a tempting target for copper thieves who steal thousands of dollars worth of copper plumbing and electrical wiring – gutting the home and further driving down the property’s value.
Theft of railroad signaling wire containing copper interferes with railroad traffic, and high voltage electric substations are being stripped of metal, causing power outages. Communications towers are looted, knocking out 911 services. Those who commit the act of stealing copper put not only themselves at risk but risk the health and safety of others as well.
Many arrests of copper thieves show a growing connection between the thefts and illegal drug activity, particularly methamphetamines. Thefts are on the rise due primarily to the lack of pressure on the scrap and salvage yards that pay for copper and other precious metal to ask questions about the material’s source. Combating the problem will take better communications between metal businesses and law enforcement agencies.
For these reasons, we support legislation requiring the transactions between the sellers of copper and secondary metal recyclers to be documented and for penalties to be assessed for noncompliance.
Mr. Chairman, we thank you for your consideration of this request. We look forward to working with you and your staff on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Air Conditioning Contractors of America
American Public Power Association
American Supply Association
Associated Builders and Contractors
Association of American Railroads
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Building Owners and Managers Association
Edison Electric Institute
Food Marketing Institute
International Council of Shopping Centers
National Association of Chain Drug Stores
National Association of Home Builders
National Retail Federation
National Roofing Contractors Association
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Retail Industry Leaders Association
United States Telecom Association
cc: The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary