Get the Lead Out

It is “highly likely” that unsafe amounts of lead particulates are in our air. Direct neighbors of Northern Iron and Machine Facility (867 Forest Street North, Saint Paul), report a strange smell in the air, and dusty residue on their vehicles. 

On April 18, 2024, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), mailed out a two-sided flyer with verbiage stating it is highly likely airborne lead levels near the facility exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). These standards define how many pollutants, such as lead, can float around in our air without a negative effect on the health of the community. The MPCA states, “no level of lead is safe for people and elevated levels of lead can impact residents’ health. Children are most at risk for health impacts.”  

Northern Iron began operating in 1906. The MPCA opened its doors in 1967. Decades before government regulations, Northern Iron did what foundries do: melted scrap metal down into usable items like car parts. This process creates toxic byproducts including lead, which can escape into our air from smokestacks atop the facility. The side effects of lead particulates are devastating to children and the elderly and are known to cause lung cancer. More on the maliciousness of lead here. 

The MPCA uses a process called modeling (think weather predictions, it is very similar) to predict the amounts of emissions released into the air.

The tan blob in the picture depicts how far the polluted air will travel on any given day. Emissions may travel further depending on atmospheric conditions.

If you live on the East Side, you are likely already living with lead exposure. Many of us have lead in our soil, paint, and the pipes that carry our water. Most East Siders live in what is known as an Environmental Justice Zone. Communities in Environmental Justice Zones live with environmental hazards that directly impact residents’ quality of life. Justice communities are one byproduct of the racist practice adopted by realtors called redlining — restricting diverse and working-class people’s home-buying options to areas including industrial neighbors. 

The MPCA oversees regulating the amount of pollution companies like Northern Iron emit. A meeting organized by the Payne-Phalen Community Council with the MPCA and Northern Iron CEO Alex Lawton had both parties pointing fingers. MPCA representatives originally claimed Northern Iron’s permit violation was a clerical error. However, local writer Andrew Hazzard reports, “… an internal MPCA memo dated February 28, 2023, reviewed by Sahan Journal showed that MPCA engineers believed that lead levels from Northern Iron may have been exceeding federal standards more than a year ago.”

Northern Iron CEO, Alex Lawton, stated that he had inherited these permitting issues when Lawton-Standard purchased Northern Iron in 2022. Research shared by community member and environmental lawyer Melissa Lorentz reveals Northern Iron’s history of compliance challenges and the MPCA’s languid approach to regulation. 

Correspondence collected by Melissa Lorentz reveals a history of Northern Iron’s compliance challenges. In a letter dated November 21, 2012, Tom Zarnke, Facility Manager of Northern Iron, reached out to MPCA permit engineer Steve Pak regarding challenges to meet NAAQS standards. Zarnke states, “A major concern is that in our efforts to minimize emissions from this facility, we may never be able to strictly achieve compliance with NAAQS.” The MPCA advised Northern Iron to “hold off” on a new permit application and never followed up. Fast forward to 2020 and the MPCA announced that they discovered unauthorized changes to Northern Iron’s equipment resulting in increased particulate emissions. According to Lorentz, these changes occurred in 2007. 

Here is the most recent timeline in the ongoing battle of the MPCA versus Northern Iron. 

• July of 2023: The MPCA required Northern Iron to conduct air-quality modeling including a fine of $41,500 for air permit violations.
• February of 2024: The MPCA stated publicly that modeling data reflected a “likelihood of air emissions exceedances.” 
• April of 2024: The MPCA issued an administrative order requiring Northern Iron to use scrap metal with less lead and reduce operating hours. Northern Iron violated this order repeatedly. 
• May 15th, 2024: Northern Iron filed a temporary injunction against the MPCA in District Court, arguing the validity of the MPCA’s modeling data.
• July 11th, 2024: Ramsey County District Court judge Leonardo Castro temporarily lifted the MPCA’s administrative order.  
• August 22nd, 2024 – Today: Judge Castro extended Northern Iron’s injunction. The MPCA now requires a new smokestack test. Although Northern Iron installed new pollution control equipment and updated its modeling, the MPCA claims the model is flawed and inconsistent with previous filings, requiring revision after the stack test. MPCA also notes that Northern Iron’s monitors are unapproved and non-compliant with federal law, making their data questionable. Despite this, the monitors show PM2.5 violations, contradicting Northern Iron’s claims of compliance.
• September 16th, 2024: Northern Iron submitted significant supplemental application materials on Sept. 16, and the MPCA has deemed the application administratively complete. The agency will now proceed with a thorough technical permitting process. Upon further review, however, the application was found to still be missing important information.
• February 21st, 2025: Ramsey County District Court Judge Leonardo Castro ordered a stay in the case between Northern Iron and Machine and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to allow the state to evaluate the foundry’s latest permit application.
• March 3rd, 2025: East Side Resident Brittney Bruce filed a class action lawsuit against Northern Iron, alleging failure to adhere to pollution standards and inviting all residents and property owners within a half-mile of the foundry to join the litigation 
• March 27, 2025: Northern Iron submitted materials, once again, for an updated air permit. The MPCA is reviewing the application materials. If the application is not deemed complete this time the MPCA will “take appropriate action to consider a permanent amendment… up to permit revocation.”  

With the MPCA’s history of lackadaisical enforcement, neighbors with valid public health concerns are continuing to meet. A newly formed group of neighbors, East Side Environmental Justice, is discussing shared concerns. A lack of clarity— in both the air and the MPCA communications team— is catalyzing our community to find strength in a collective and collaborative voice, which feels underrepresented by both Northern Iron and the MPCA.

If and when the MPCA finishes work on an amended permit for Northern Iron it will share a draft of this permit with the public. According to Lorentz, “The permit amendment will be a crucial leverage point for interested people. From a legal perspective, you lose your right to complain about a permit if you do not engage then.” It is also important to note that public opinion is also admissible in court in the eventual settlement of this ongoing conflict. 

To keep tabs on the MPCA, you can sign up for their newsletter, here. To share your thoughts about Northern Iron, click here for information on the next East Side Environmental Justice meeting. 

Please reach out to your primary care physician and get yourself and your children evaluated for lead.