State Seeks Action Against Minneapolis Recycling Site
St. Paul, MN (KROC AM News) - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is seeking an immediate shutdown of a recycling plant in Minneapolis due to continuous air quality violations.
The agency says Northern Metal Recycling gave the agency misleading information when it sought its air quality permit in 2012. The company operates a metal shredder at its north Minneapolis site.
The MPCA began monitoring air quality near Northern Metals after the permit was issued. The monitors began detecting elevated particulates almost immediately, at levels that have frequently exceeded state standards. The agency says data from a 12 month period also found levels of airborne heavy metals near the site that were near or above health benchmarks.
“Based on our investigations and discussions with the company over the last year, we believe either the company did not truthfully disclose its emissions from this facility when it was last permitted, or that it has added or changed emission sources since the permit was issued without informing us, or both,” said MPCA Assistant Commissioner David Thornton.
“Either of these conditions is a serious violation of state and federal air quality laws and cause for permit revocation,” Thornton said. “The revocation process takes some time to play out, so while that’s underway we are also asking the court to enjoin Northern Metals from further operations. The violations of air quality standards that have been occurring in this area must be stopped.”
“We use many strategies in our efforts to make permitted facilities comply with the environmental protections we’re charged to enforce,” Thornton said. “Moving to close a facility and revoke their permit is a very rare step for the MPCA.”
Thornton said if the permit is revoked, the company would be free to reapply for another one but that a new permit would have to properly account for and control emissions.
Thornton said the MPCA has tried to negotiate with the company and has been in and out of court with them for more than a year, but the company has been uncooperative in addressing the problems.
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