Opinion | MPCA’s double standards threaten union jobs while ignoring public health

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I read with interest the recent article on concerns with lead emissions from a car battery recycling plant in Eagan. As a member of the Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee, I think it’s very important to keep up with the actions of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

What I hear repeatedly is an expectation of fair and consistent treatment from the MPCA, and responsiveness when it comes to protecting the environment and human health. Unfortunately, my take-away after reading this article was — once again — that the MPCA is not living up to these basic expectations.

It seems that the MPCA has been extremely late and relatively silent on apparent lead exposure from the battery recycling plant in Eagan called Gopher Resource. I found that very interesting as, on the other hand, I hear the MPCA is trying to revoke air permits and essentially close Northern Iron, a foundry on the East Side of St. Paul, which has no documented air quality violations.

So what’s up with this clearly disparate treatment of two similar businesses?

I’ve been told the MPCA required Northern Iron to do extensive air modeling, based on an assumed 24/7 operation schedule — even though it only runs one shift a day, five days week. Then the MPCA used that data from the 24/7 model (instead of data based on actual operations) to force Northern Iron to shut production down by two-thirds. This makes zero sense.

Now, look at Eagan. From January through March, a Minnesota Star Tribune article shows that the public was exposed to high lead levels from the company that recycles batteries. But apparently that entire community has one air monitor. I am not sure how that information is disseminated to neighbors.

Unlike Northern Iron, it appears the MPCA worked with the company in Eagan for months and did not tell the people who were exposed until July 1. So much for the protection of the public and its health. Now, wouldn’t you think the company that exceeded the allowable lead levels for three months would be asked to cut back production in their facility?

No, apparently it doesn’t work that way. The company is currently allowed to continue operations.

What we are not seeing is an agency acting in a consistent manner that serves the best interest of anyone — citizens or regulated businesses alike. Instead, we see a government agency acting in an arbitrary and random manner.

Northern Iron has been in the same place since the early 1900s. It employs 85 people and nearly 50 of those are union workers who earn wages that they spend in their community. The company pays much higher taxes than the residential properties, which helps pay for schools, for local services, etc. Northern Iron has proven with actual data, publicly posted and presented to a court (that same court that has referred to the MPCA’s behavior as “bullying”) that they are compliant. Yet the MPCA has sent out numerous press releases, which I’m sure alarms the community.

I care deeply about protecting both human health and the environment. The MPCA needs to do their work on these issues in an evenhanded, fair, fact-based manner. The residents of Eagan deserve better. The residents and employees in St. Paul deserve better. The residents of Minnesota deserve better.