Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media contact: Sam Brungardt, (651) 282-6410 Technical contact: Dan Sullivan, (651) 296-7600 Southeast Como Improvement Association Contact: Justin Eibenholzl, (612) 676-1731 St. Paul, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will hold a public information meeting the evening of Tuesday, Mar. 15, to explain the proposed air emissions permit for Prospect Foundry, located at 1225 N.E. Winter St. in Minneapolis. The meeting will be 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Multi-purpose Room of the Van Cleve Park's Community Building, 901 15th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis. An open house from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. will provide an opportunity to talk with representatives from the MPCA, city of Minneapolis, Prospect Foundry and the Southeast Como Improvement Association. The open house will be followed by a presentation by MPCA staff from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the opportunity for questions until 9:00 p.m. Prospect Foundry operates a gray and ductile iron foundry. The company has applied to the MPCA for an air permit because all facilities that emit certain kinds and amounts of air pollutants are required to do so. Permits contain a wide range of requirements to minimize the impact of air emissions. In general, the kind of permit a facility is required to apply for depends on how much air pollution it might emit or the type of equipment it uses. A federal Title V or Part 70 permit, such as the one that Prospect Foundry has applied for, has stricter requirements than state permits. A company is allowed to continue to operate as it has in the past until a new permit is approved. The draft permit will be made available in the future when it is placed on formal public notice for 30 days. Written comments on the proposed permit will be accepted during that notice period. Questions about the March 15 meeting can be directed to the MPCA's Dan Sullivan at (651) 296-7600 and or to Justin Eibenholzl with the Southeast Como Improvement Association at (612) 676-1731.