The struggle between jobs and clean air concluded March 4 when Master Metals announced the plant on W. 3rd would not reopen.

The company, which recycled lead from batteries, employed 50 people. EPA regulators repeatedly ordered the operation closed because workers were not protected from lead and air pollution.

A previous article in the Plain Press, A Doctor's View: Issue 5 will improve health and help save lives (October 27, 1992), explained how three children of Master Metals employees contracted lead poisoning and had to be hospitalized. Lead in the air of the plant's parking lot contaminated the interior of the card. Employees children were directly exposed to lead as they rode in their parents' cars,

Who will clean the contaminated site remains a pervasive issue for the City of Cleveland. According to one source, Master Metals may ask lead suppliers, prior owners of the site, and the federal and state governments to help pay.