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Foundry’s neighbors skeptical of air quality test results
MPCA continues to investigate the findings of the EPA at century-old ironworks.
MINNEAPOLIS — The latest air quality tests on the Smith Foundry show it’s in compliance with the particulate pollution limits spelled out in its current permit, but neighborhood groups and environmental activists still want the state to shut it down.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has scheduled two public meetings Wednesday to share the latest information the agency’s efforts to bring the century-old foundry into compliance, and to investigate the findings of an EPA inspection conducted last May.
Those meetings are set for 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the East Phillips Park Cultural & Community Center at 2307 17th Ave South in Minneapolis. The same presentation from the afternoon meeting will be shared at the evening session.
The MPCA posted a video on YouTube showing a contractor conducting the “stack test” at Smith Foundry. Those results eventually came back showing that the plant’s particulate pollution emissions are below the limit set in its air permit. The test also showed some lead emissions, but at a very low level.
“The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are working together to protect the health and safety of Minnesotans and their communities,” read a joint statement from the MPCA and the EPA.
“The MPCA continues to coordinate with EPA as part of the ongoing investigation of Smith Foundry. The December 2023 stack test provides the community, EPA, and MPCA with actual measured levels of emissions from several of the operations at the facility. The results verify that Smith Foundry is compliant with its permit limits for particulate matter at those operations.”
Adolfo Quiroga, the Smith Foundry president, issued the following statement:
“I want people to know that we are committed to ensuring clean air and providing people in Minneapolis, including the East Philips neighborhood, with well-paying, good union jobs. I believe that the test results and the repairs, improvements and investments we’ve made since purchasing Smith Foundry 13 months ago demonstrate that commitment. We look forward to continuing to work with state and federal regulators and engage with the community as we continue to complete our application for a new air permit.”
A coalition of environmental safety advocates and neighborhood groups continues to press the state to shut down the 100-year-old foundry, contending the emissions have had the cumulative effect of causing health issues in the surrounding areas.
“When you come in with a stack test everybody knows what’s going to happen. So, the company knows, the EPA knows, all the contractors, third-party contractor knows,” Evan Mulholland of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy told KARE.
“So, it’s no surprise everything was working well at the time. But what we were surprised at was the amount of lead. They said they were expecting no lead, they don’t use lead in their castings, but still they’ve got a real amount of lead coming out every day.”
Mulholland also pointed out the plant’s air pollution limits are based on the standards that were in place when the MPCA permit was issued in the 1990s. The plant, under new ownership, has been attempting to gain a new permit.
The opposition groups said they felt vindicated by the EPA’s May inspection, which found particulate emissions were double what was allowed, that some of the pollution monitoring equipment was in disrepair and that the foundry failed to produce logs of their emission monitoring.
The EPA found the foundry in violation of its permits and noted that particulate pollution has been linked to asthma and a variety of other ailments.
“I really think there’s more pollution coming out than what they’re saying or guessing,” Cassandra Holmes of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute, told KARE.
“So, the fact the entity came out saying they’re within the guidelines is upsetting because our community is literally burying children from environmental injustice.”
Holmes’s son Trinidad Flores died in 2013 at the age of 16 from a heart ailment. She blames the cumulative pollution from all the industrial sites in the area, including the foundry.
The foundry is next door to an asphalt plant, part of an industrial corridor along Hiawatha Avenue that once included a pesticide plant that handled large quantities of arsenic.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon hosted a special drive to sign up students.
MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon is working to sign up hundreds of college students to become bone marrow and stem cell donors.
The frat has been partnering with NMDP, a global nonprofit leader in cell therapy. For years it has helped register around 1,000 students.
“A big thing for us is just trying to show people fraternities aren’t just like partying and drinking and stuff like that like we actually like to give back to the community,” said Axel Arnold.
The 20-year-old joined the registry last fall through his fraternity. In the spring, he learned he was a match for a 54-year-old man and decided to donate his stem cells.
“I didn’t really think it was like too heroic or anything,” Arnold said. “If I was in that same position, I’d want somebody to do the same thing for me.”
His experience compelled him to organize the special drive at his fraternity Wednesday night. In a few hours, they registered 75 people.
“These student groups really want to make a difference. They care about their culture, they care about their society,” said Keesha Mason with NMDP, formerly Be The Match.
Mason said it’s important to get young people connected with their mission, so they’ll want to become donors. Her words inspired Arnold to sign up last fall.
“Most people think young men are disconnected but on health stance young 18–35-year-olds their stem cells, I don’t want to say are fresher, but their stem cells when they’re put into a patient that needs a match gives those patients better outcomes,” she said.
Studies of stem cell transplants have shown young donors, between the ages of 18 and 30-year-olds lead to the highest survival rates. Young men are ideal donors because they can donate a larger volume of cells, leading to higher survival rates.
Currently the stem cell registry includes about 9 million people, but the percentage of 18-24-year-olds is low.
It’s why NMDP is working to change that, meeting young people where they are at. Laney Bay was walking home when she saw NMDP in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s front yard.
“I’ve had a lot of friends who have struggled through different medical issues in the past and it’s very interesting to me, and I want to make sure I can do what I can,” she said.
Arnold is hopeful more young people will sign up to become donors and said he would donate again if he got the call.
“It was pretty quick. I would say like actual effort I had to put into it was like probably about a half day of work towards doing it and I mean a half a day of work for a life is insurmountable,” Arnold said.
The Minnesota State Patrol says 18-year-old Sam Dutcher of West Fargo was driving when his Honda Pilot malfunctioned, accelerated and could not be stopped.
WEST FARGO, N.D. — An 18-year-old from West Fargo is alive, with a wild story to tell, thanks to a Minnesota State Trooper and other law enforcement personnel who stepped in when he needed them most.
Minnesota State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Jesse Grabow says the saga unfolded on Tuesday, Sept. 17 when 18-year-old Sam Dutcher was driving in the Fargo area when his 2022 Honda Pilot malfunctioned and refused to stop. Dutcher called 911, telling dispatchers the SUV was continuing to accelerate despite his trying to turn it off, put the transmission in neutral, and slow it with both the braking system and the emergency brake.
“Nobody is expecting a car to be coming at them 113 miles per hour on a 55 mile-per-hour road,” said Trooper Zach Gruver, who helped save Sam. “My only thought to get him stopped was to get in front of him.”
Clay County Deputy Zach Johnson joined the effort, talking with Sam on the phone and trying to troubleshoot as the SUV tore eastbound on a county road doing between 80 and 90 mph.
Trooper Gruver knew there wasn’t much time, as the road would soon come to a T and the teen driver would most certainly crash. The trooper once again sped in front of Sam, and communicating with Deputy Johnson, told the teen to run into the back of his squad. Trooper Gruver paced the approaching SUV, was struck, and firmly applied his brakes until both vehicles came to a stop.
“There was a lot of factors that were not in our favor and all of them worked out, fortunately,” said Trooper Gruver.
Clay County Sheriff Mark Empting told KARE 11 how proud he was of the responding deputies and Trooper Gruver.
“Would I call them heroes? Definitely,” said Sheriff Empting. “The work they do out there every day, I think is heroic and they need to take their five minutes of fame right now.”
Sam and his mom got to meet Trooper Gruver a few days after the incident, thankful for his bravery.
“I walked up and he went to stick his hand to shake my hand and I’m like, ‘No, seriously you’re getting a hug,'” said Catherine Dutcher. “You saved my kid.”
Sam is seeing a chiropractor for some lingering pain and a counselor for trauma as he’s experiencing nightmares from it all.
“I’m very thankful that they stopped me,” said Sam. “I felt a sense of relief, but I also started to freak out then.”
Catherine is even more thankful Trooper Gruver put his life on the line as the 30-year-old is about to become a father for the first time any day. His wife’s due date was Tuesday.
“I did what every single other officer, deputy or trooper would have done in this situation,” said Trooper Gruver.
Gov. Tim Walz signed an emergency executive order following the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Several state agencies and first responders are sending emergency response teams to North Carolina, while the Minnesota National Guard is providing two cargo helicopters to help transport people and resources throughout the areas devastated by Hurricane Helene.
The assistance comes after Gov. Tim Walz signed an emergency executive order Wednesday following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene in parts of the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia.
“Those recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene are not alone,” said Gov. Tim Walz in a press release. “Minnesota will be there to support the region however we can. As communities rebuild, I am grateful for the dedication of Minnesota’s first responders in answering the call to travel east to help impacted areas.”
More than 180 people have been confirmed dead, and many more are unaccounted for after the hurricane made landfall last week in the southeastern United States. The storm caused massive destruction in several areas with more than a million people still without power.
As part of Walz’s emergency order, the St. Louis County mobile command post is heading down to North Carolina, while the Minnesota State Patrol and Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office have also assembled teams with general law enforcement, according to the release. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal is also working with local fire departments to send equipment and personnel to some of the areas that were hit the worst.
Along with the two helicopters, the Minnesota National Guard has activated 11 soldiers, who are expected to arrive on Friday to help for at least one week.
“The Minnesota National Guard is ready to assist the state of North Carolina and help support people and communities impacted by Hurricane Helene,” said Maj. Gen. Shawn Manke, Minnesota National Guard Adjutant General. “We take pride in being able to answer the call when another state requests support.”
Xcel Energy is also sending employees to help restore power in the region.
