An agreement has been reached between Smith Foundry and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA alleges that the iron foundry, which is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, violated the Clean Air Act. The agency conducted a surprise inspection of the foundry in May 2023 and found that the company was not properly operating its pollution control equipment, did not maintain required records, and exceeded particulate matter emission limits for its industrial process equipment.
Per the agreement, Smith Foundry has 12 months to shut down its furnace and casting processes and convert to a metal finishing facility. This transition includes immediately shutting down two of the foundry’s pouring and cooling lines and limiting the total amount of liquid metal poured at the remaining lines to 2,884 tons before they are shut down. According to the EPA, this change will drastically reduce emissions at the facility. Smith Foundry will also have to pay an $80,000 penalty. Casting Foundry
In a recent quote, EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore said, “Shutting down the furnace and casting operations is a win for this community, which has been historically disenfranchised and overburdened by pollution. East Phillips residents deserve to breathe clean air and to live in a healthy, thriving community.”
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Katrina Kessler added, “The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency remains committed to ensuring clean air for all Minnesotans and working collaboratively with the EPA toward that goal. This settlement is an important step toward protecting the health and well-being of residents in the East Phillips community. The MPCA remains invested in the community and will monitor, in partnership with the EPA, ongoing emissions from Smith Foundry and air quality in the East Phillips neighborhood to ensure compliance with state and federal laws. We will continue to engage with and communicate frequently with residents."
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Steel Foundry Alexis Gajewski has over 15 years of experience in the maintenance, reliability, operations, and manufacturing space. She joined Plant Services in 2008 and works to bring readers the news, insight, and information they need to make the right decisions for their plants. Alexis also authors “The Lighter Side of Manufacturing,” a blog that highlights the fun and innovative advances in the industrial sector.