KEYSTONE STEEL & WIRE CO.
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF
THE NATIONAL VEHICLE MERCURY SWITCH RECOVERY PROGRAM

Keystone Steel & Wire Company ("Keystone") is pleased to announce its participation in, and strong support of, the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program ("NVMSRP"). With a goal of removing mercury-containing switches from end-of-life vehicles before they enter the scrap supply, the NVMSRP is a national partnership among steelmakers, scrap suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, environmental groups, the Environmental Council of States, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Keystone and other Electric Arc Furnace ("EAF") Steel Manufacturers are the largest recyclers in North America. Each year, the EAF steel industry recycles more material by weight than the total of all other recyclable materials combined. Keystone recycles approximately 600 thousand tons of scrap metal annually in the EAF to manufacture new steel products. The scrap metal feedstock is, in large part, comprised of end-of-life vehicles. While an excellent source of recyclable metals, scrap vehicles also sometimes contain undesirable materials, such as mercury, which typically is contained in hood and trunk light convenience switches. When a vehicle is crushed and shredded, it becomes impossible to locate and remove mercury switches from the vehicle, which can result in the release of mercury to the environment during recycling.

Pollution prevention in the form of mercury switch recovery from end-of-life vehicles is the most effective option to avoid these emissions. The NVMSRP is designed to maximize mercury switch recovery at a point where the switches are still intact, contained, and readily accessible.

By participating in the NVMSRP, Keystone commits to establishing practices to reduce the amount of mercury in their feedstock by: (1) adopting corporate policies that embrace this goal; (2) developing and implementing a plan to achieve mercury minimization; (3) communicating these requirements to scrap suppliers, including through educational outreach and purchasing policies; and (4) strongly encouraging scrap suppliers to participate in the NVMSRP.

The NVMSRP cannot succeed without the active support and participation of all parties in the scrap supply chain, from those that collect and dismantle end-of-life vehicles to crushers and shredders to scrap dealers and the steel manufacturers that ultimately recycle the vehicle scrap. Therefore, Keystone encourages all vehicle scrap suppliers and recyclers to participate in this important voluntary program.

Keystone is proud to be a partner in the NVMSRP and is committed to its success.