For the last year, communities on St. Paul’s East Side have been advocating for justice and accountability related to a regulatory enforcement investigation of Northern Iron & Machine, a metal foundry owned by Wisconsin-based company Lawton Standard.
In February 2024, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency was notified that Northern Iron’s emissions are likely exceeding national air quality standards. The foundry was given 30 days to meet air quality standards, and the agency entered into an agreement with the MPCA to address the lead and particulate emissions. To further track the scale of harmful emissions, the MPCA placed air monitors and conducted air monitoring to measure the surrounding air.
After over a year of monitoring, and pressure from East Side residents, it looks like accountability is within reach. In January 2025, the foundry was required to renew its air permit, and submitted an incomplete application to the MPCA. The MPCA announced in April that the foundry had been given a deadline to turn over its emissions data by May 8. This is an important step in repairing the harm of the historical legacy of neglecting communities who have lived in the crossfire of harmful emissions of industrial pollutants…