The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued a final notice to Northern Iron for information required to determine compliance and to write a permit. If the agency does not receive the requested information, it will begin the process to revoke the permit issued to the foundry located on the east side of Saint Paul, said Frank Kohlasch, assistant commissioner for air and climate policy at the MPCA.
“Northern Iron failed again to provide the information MPCA has been requesting for months and what little information was provided remains deficient,” Kohlasch said. “Minnesota law requires that the MPCA be satisfied the permittee will achieve compliance, that the applicant will maintain compliance with all conditions of the permit, and that all laws, including the requirements of Chapter 116 have been fulfilled. Once again, based on the information Northern Iron has provided to date, the MPCA cannot make the determination that Northern Iron has met those conditions.”
“At this point, the MPCA cannot make the necessary determinations to issue a permit, and, in fact, by rule, Northern Iron’s refusal to provide information is justification for revoking a permit,” Kohlasch said.
Northern Iron, which is located in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood in Saint Paul, manufactures metal castings and machine parts.
For more than two years, Northern Iron has repeatedly failed to meet regulator expectations or comply with a 2023 stipulation agreement.
Northern Iron has also refused to provide building capture data — information related to its operations and emissions at the facility — despite multiple requests from the MPCA including in a March 6, 2025, letter. The company has failed to implement its own building capture plan and refuses to provide information regarding the requirement that it maintain 100 percent building capture.
To avoid revocation of its air permit, Northern Iron must, among other steps:
- provide all information related to its facility’s building capture
- complete adequate stack testing and submit a plan to achieve detection limits for lead at or below the acceptable levels
- complete hood evaluations and certifications
The deadline for the MPCA to receive the information is May 8.