Texas Public Radio has removed our recent, August 9th news story that aired on the radio and ran online regarding a new city task force concerning code regulation of auto salvage and metal recycling facilities. TPR is also issuing the following retraction.
The story fell short of our standards because we did not reach out, before publication, to a key stakeholder: Monterrey Iron & Metal.
Monterrey pointed out that a reader could infer from our original story that a fire at its facility last September was due to code violations. That was not our intent. The fire, which was one impetus for the effort to create the city task force, was not found to be a result of code violations.
Rather, the fire was caused by a lithium-ion battery, an item prohibited by the facility. Such incidents of lithium-ion batteries making it through screening processes are a known problem for recycling and solid waste facilities across the country.
Since the fire, Monterrey has been inspected by several agencies — including TCEQ and OSHA — and has undergone weekly inspections by COSA Code Enforcement for six months. It was found to be in full compliance with city code.
TPR did not include these details in our original story and did not contact the company before broadcast. The reporting mistakes we made have led us to remove it from TPR's digital platforms.
We sincerely apologize to Monterrey Iron & Metal, as well as to our listeners and readers, for these mistakes and any resulting confusion. Moving forward, we will reinforce the measures we take to ensure rigorous editorial processes and to uphold the integrity of our reporting.
TPR remains committed to reporting on all issues of concern to our community, including how industry is regulated in San Antonio and the issues stemming from the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries in modern technology. At the same time, we would like to restate our commitment to making sure that our reporting fairly represent the voices and viewpoints of all stakeholders.
Dan Katz
Vice President of News
Texas Public Radio