Smith Foundry fined $80k by EPA and must cease furnace, casting operations within 1 year
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.
What people are saying
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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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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