Following a discovery by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) that a metal recycler was not following its air permit, a judge this week ordered a key portion of a Minneapolis metal recycling company to cease certain operations. The order directs Northern Metal Recycling to shut down part of its metals recovery facility until MPCA either issues a modified air permit for the facility or the company proves to the agency that the buildings do not cause or contribute to ongoing air quality violations in the area.
MPCA had asked the court for an injunction earlier this summer. Through investigations at the site, the agency discovered that the company had not provided critical information during the permit process and had made changes to the facility that increased emissions without the agency’s approval.
“We’re still reviewing the order to understand all the details,” MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine said in a statement issued Wednesday, “but overall, we’re pleased with the judge’s decision.”
