Metal Shredder on the Minneapolis Riverfront Kicking Up Controversy Again

Photographs from the Mill City Times archive

From the Star Tribune:

A controversial metal shredding operation on the north Minneapolis riverfront wants permission to pump more pollution into the air, saying it can't meet limits it agreed to 13 years ago.

Northern Metal Recycling wants to raise selected pollution limits, loosen restrictions on what goes into the shredder, and reduce the frequency of pollution testing at its scrap recycling yard near the west end of the Lowry Avenue Bridge.

Opponents ranging from area legislators to the City Council and Park Board to the National Park Service are lining up against the shredder's request. State Reps. Phyllis Kahn and Joe Mullery, both Minneapolis DFLers, termed the firm's proposal "an outrage" in a letter to state regulators, adding that it is "an enormous step in the wrong direction."

Read the full article...

Update on Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at 6:55AM by David Tinjum

A letter from State Rep's Phyllis Kahn and Joe Mullery to the Minnesota Pollution Control agency on the proposal to increase the permitted emmissions on the North side along the river. This letter provides written comments to the EAW and to the proposed air permit for Northern Metals Recyclers.

As longtime State Legislators, we are writing to express our outrage at the prospect of the PCA approving the application by Northern Metals for a major modification of its air emissions permit. Those of us who have been in the Legislature for the last fifteen years or so have no difficulty recalling the extraordinary amount of controversy surrounding the Kondirator issue. The decision by the Legislature to allow Northern Metals' predecessor to move ahead with its proposal was marked by grave concerns of shady dealing, environmental injustice and threats to public health.

This history is what makes the current application so troubling. Northern Metals is proposing to significantly increase harmful and dangerous emissions in an extremely vulnerable section of Minneapolis. Northern Metals located in a part of north Minneapolis that is high-poverty and made up predominantly of people of color. Further, the people and local businesses have made great strides in cleaning up and revitalizing this community. To allow Northern Metals to expand its operations and increase harmful emissions would be an enormous step in the wrong direction. Northern Metals is proposing (and the PCA is apparently intending to approve) forcing the people in one of the poorest and most racially isolated parts of the State to breathe contaminated air that creates profound health risks. Given the blatant violations of environmental justice, granting the permit would likely lead to litigation. And we would be eager to help organize the thousands of Minnesotans who would be harmed by greater amounts of heavy metals and other toxins being spewed into the air.

In addition, Northern Metals has already been found in violation of existing standards. In 2009, tests showed that mercury emissions exceeded standards by 32% and total particulate emissions were more than triple the standard. Northern Metals' proposed solution to these serious violations is simply to lower the standards. This flies in the face of the very purpose of air quality standards and is nothing more than legalizing what is currently illegal. Even more important is that this practice could set a precedent for other companies and render all pollution standards meaningless.

We strongly encourage the PCA to reject Northern Metals' application for a major modification of the air permit. There is no reason why Northern Metals cannot abide by the permit that was granted years ago amid rampant concerns that its operations would cause serious damage to that section of Minneapolis and to our Mississippi River. It would be a shame to reverse many years of progress restoring and revitalizing the Mississippi River by allowing a major polluter to dramatically increase its emissions. Northern Metals is actually located along the Mississippi National River Recreation Area which stretches from Ramsey, Minnesota to Hastings and is one of very few national parks that includes a major metropolitan city. Allowing increased emissions hardly seems consistent with the objectives of this truly unique national park. Moreover, when Northern Metal's predecessor originally proposed a Kondirator it acknowledged how important it was to be located on the Mississippi River and stated that locks on the river would not close. With the growing threat of Asian Carp, however, the closure of the locks is becoming increasingly likely. It does not make sense for Northern Metals to be expanding when they may soon have to change locations or find an alternative to barge transportation.

Short of on outright denial of the permit application, PCA should require a formal Environmental Impact Statement. If there was ever a proposal that warranted a thorough and careful analysis, it is this one. The EAW indicates that lead emissions would increase by over 300%; zinc emissions would increase more than 400%; and other toxins would increase by as much as 2700%. This proposal clearly warrants the thorough analysis provided by an EIS, including the consideration of alternative designs and mitigation measures.

We hereby request that the PCA hold public information meetings and a contested case hearing for this permit application. As recent history has clearly shown, this issue is extremely controversial and directly affects thousands of Minnesotans. The information gained from a formal EIS, public information meetings and a contested case hearing will help ensure that any decision regarding the requested permit is sound, in the public interest and reflects the input of affected stakeholders. Anything short of this would be a serious miscarriage of justice and would represent politics at its worst.

At a minimum, we implore the PCA to extend the period for submitting written comments on the EAW. Nearly all of the environmental groups we contacted in the last week were completely unaware of the EAW and of Northern Metals' application. For an issue as important as this one, all stakeholders should have the opportunity to carefully analyze relevant materials, and then weigh in with their perspective. For PCA to allow this extremely controversial proposal to move forward under the radar with very little public input would be egregious and would invite suspicion and antipathy here at the Legislature.