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Environmental review and draft air permit amendment for Northern Metals

The MPCA Citizens' Board approved the issuance of the air quality permit for Northern Metals on October 23, 2012. The permit is available in the link below:

Northern Metals LLC Air Quality Permit (05300480-003-aqpermit)

Northern Metal Recycling operates a metal recycling facility in north Minneapolis, located at 2800 Pacific St.

In August 2010, Northern Metals submitted a permit application to the MPCA to modify its existing MPCA-issued air quality permit to:

include additions to pollution control equipment,
update the facility description based on improvements to the site since 1998,
eliminate obsolete requirements and requirements that have been completed,
modify other permit requirements to reflect actual emission rates achieved in practice, and
eliminate feedstock restrictions to allow Northern Metals to shred whole auto hulks and other metals such as aluminum, brass, stainless steel and copper.

The proposal includes only permit changes, no new construction. A draft permit was placed on notice November 17, 2011 and again on January 13, 2012. A copy of the draft permit is available at on the Public Notices page, under the Tuesday, July 24, 2012 heading. Copies can be mailed on request.

The MPCA evaluated the proposed changes to the permit in an Environmental Assessment Worksheet, which was placed on public notice November 14, 2011 and again on January 13, 2012. The EAW is available below.

Northern Metals Application for Major Permit Amendment EAW (p-ear2-27a)

Litigation brought in March 2012, prevented the MPCA from working further on the Northern Metals permit. The restrictions were lifted in late June, and the MPCA held a public meeting on the EAW on August 9, 2012, at the headquarters of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.