Helping end an air pollution nightmare in Minneapolis

Northern Metals’ facility, located on the banks of the Mississippi River in north Minneapolis, is among a number of industrial facilities that pollute the air of nearby residents. The 55411 zip code where the Minneapolis plant is located has the highest rate of asthma hospitalizations in Minnesota - five times the average. The primary pollutants from the metal shredder were heavy metals and fine particles (PM 2.5) that can cause and trigger asthma. This is a textbook example of environmental injustice, and when MCEA was approached by local residents in Community Members for Environmental Justice (CMEJ) in 2019, we took the case. 

We intervened in the case on behalf of the community, and argued for an immediate shutdown of the facility to comply with an earlier consent decree agreed to by the company. Pressure from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, local residents, elected officials and the City of Minneapolis helped, but the court ruled that a delay in opening a new facility meant Northern Metals could continue to operate. Then a whistleblower who worked at the plant came forward with evidence that pollution control equipment was not working properly and that the company submitted false reports to state regulators. This news broke the logjam, and led to Northern Metals agreeing to shut down the Minneapolis shredder once and for all on September 30, 2019. 

The fire at Northern Metals’ new shredder in Becker, Minnesota brought the issue back in front of the courts in February 2020. MCEA continued to represent CMEJ in a quest to prevent a similar fire at the Minneapolis facility, which was being used to store cars in an unsafe manner.