U.S. EPA: Smith Foundry in Minneapolis has been releasing excess air pollution for years
Smith Foundry in Minneapolis. Photo by David Kenedy
MINNEAPOLIS — The Smith Foundry in Minneapolis’ East Phillips neighborhood has significant, ongoing, and longstanding violations of the U.S. Clean Air Act, according to an Aug. 15 letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the company — from releasing excess fine particle pollution to failing to keep required records so regulators could hold them accountable.
Joe Vital, volunteer with the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) said if the EPA pursues criminal charges, EPNI would like to be a co-plaintiff. If the EPA doesn’t pursue charges, the neighborhood will consider doing it on its own.
“Residents are deeply saddened that they [the foundry owners] have been allowed to violate their permit, yet this is something residents have known for decades,” Vital said. “This is why asthma rates are so high.”
“I hope the MPCA [Minnesota Pollution Control Agency] and the EPA take this seriously, as we have lost community members and family members to the health consequences of the pollutants they have been spewing.”
EPNI plans on holding community information sessions as soon as it knows more.