Minnesota metals recycler to relocate its auto shredder facility

SPOKANE (Scrap Monster): The North Minneapolis-based Northern Metal Recycling will need to relocate its auto shredder operation from its current location to a non-metropolitan area. The company has not reached a settlement agreement yet, and is still in negotiations with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to relocate the facility within three years. The move comes after several years of legal dispute between the company and the state regulator on complaints regarding air emissions from the shredder facility.

The settlement would resolve pending court cases between both sides. As per the negotiations, the metals recycler will have to pay a sum of money, which would go towards community health improvement projects. Northern Metals will also have to pay for air-monitoring of the location and reimburse the state agency for legal fees. Although details of the negotiations are not available, the metal recycler will have to move their metals recovery plant and shredder out of the metro area by summer of 2019. Meantime, the nearby residents expressed fear that any settlement will allow the company to operate at the present location for another three years.

According to MPCA officials, settlement is the quickest solution to the problem. Legal battle could extend the matter to a longer number of years. The authority noted that it is totally committed to ensure that neighboring community is not impacted badly due to company operations until the time they are relocated. Daniel Huff, health director for the Minneapolis Health Department stated that the company will be in its radar screen and that the company will have to in touch with city and community officials on a quarterly basis.

The company’s shredder facility located south of the Lowry Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis’ Hawthorne neighborhood has been in the news for decades on complaints of it polluting the surrounding environment. The MPCA had demanded the court to order immediate suspension of the facility. However, the judge had then declined the demand, thereby allowing the company to operate. Northern Metals has implemented necessary dust-control mechanisms in order to reduce dust emission caused by the shredder operations. According to the MPCA, these dust control measures were not approved.

Following complaints by local residents, MPCA had begun monitoring the site in October 2014. A second monitoring site had begun operations in 2015 as well. The monitors had measured elevated levels of airborne particulate and heavy metals. The air monitoring results had identified violations of the daily and annual TSP standards. It also identified elevated lead concentrations, measured at 80% of the national lead standard and elevated heavy metal concentrations of chromium, cobalt, and nickel measured above chronic inhalation health risk guidelines.

Following a petition filed by the regulator seeking an injunction, the Ramsey County (Minnesota) District Court Judge John Guthmann ordered the scrap metal company to shut down part of its material recovery plant and an attached shed that is used to separate metals and nonmetallic fluff from the shredded material. The order had also stated that the operations should remain closed until that time when MPCA issues a modified air permit for the facility.