The metal foundry Northern Iron, pictured on December 1, 2023, was fined $41,500 for failing to properly report changes to its pollution mitigation equipment. Credit: Dymanh Chhoun | Sahan Journal

State regulators are requiring a metal foundry on St. Paul’s East Side to reduce lead and particulate matter emissions in the next 30 days after new data found high levels of pollution. 

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Tuesday issued an administrative order to Northern Iron and Machine giving the company a month to comply with national air quality standards. The foundry, located in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood, must decrease lead and particulate matter pollution and demonstrate it can operate within national standards by May 16, the pollution control agency said.  

The order follows new emissions estimates in February that were spurred by violations issued against the foundry in October 2023. The MPCA fined Northern Iron $41,500 for failing to properly report changes to various pieces of pollution mitigation equipment. 

The MPCA said Northern Iron had come into compliance when it issued the fine last fall, and told residents at a community meeting that the violations did not likely result in elevated levels of pollution. 

Particulate matter, small soot-style air particles, is dangerous when inhaled and is known to cause heart and respiratory issues. All amounts of lead pollution are considered hazardous by state and federal agencies.

Northern Iron is in the process of obtaining a new state permit, which prompted the inspection that led to the 2023 violations and the new emissions estimates this February. The MPCA said Tuesday those estimates show the foundry’s lead and particulate matter emissions are “highly likely” to be exceeding national ambient air quality standards. The foundry’s permit was issued in 2002. 

The state and federal EPA consider the surrounding neighborhood an environmental justice community based on demographics and household incomes. Nearly 70% of Payne-Phalen residents are people of color, and just under half speak a language other than English at home, according to the demographer MN Compass. 

The foundry began operating in Payne-Phalen neighborhood in the early 1900s and is located on Forest Street near the former Whirlpool plant. 

Northern Iron was purchased in 2022 by Lawton Standard, a company that owns foundries across the United States. Representatives from Lawton Standard did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. A company representative is expected to meet with the Payne-Phalen Community Council on April 23. 

The Payne-Phalen Community Council requested that the fine issued against Northern Iron last year go toward community blood testing for lead levels, and investments in neighborhood health clinics. The council is also asking the MPCA to send notices to nearby homes by mail. MPCA fines typically go into the state environmental fund. 

The MPCA said it will host a community meeting in Payne-Phalen to talk about the violations in May. The agency has installed air monitors near the facility to measure particulate matter and lead emissions. 

Northern Iron was previously found in violation of its permit in 2009, 2016, and 2019. Those violations were considered low-level by the MPCA and didn’t result in fines. 

Pollution issues are prevalent at metal foundries in low-income Twin Cities neighborhoods. The EPA issued violations against St. Paul Brass and Aluminum in St. Paul’s Frogtown area. Both face ongoing federal enforcement actions. 

Andrew Hazzard is a reporter with Sahan Journal who focuses on climate change and environmental justice issues. After starting his career in daily newspapers in Mississippi and North Dakota, Andrew returned...