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Northern Iron court ruling allows for regular operations

The MPCA is committed to protecting air quality and the health of residents in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood, and to updating residents on our work with Northern Iron.

On Thursday, July 11, Ramsey County District Court issued an order that allows Northern Iron to increase its operations and lifted provisions of the MPCA’s administrative order that limited production to ensure it meets national ambient air quality standards.

The MPCA issued the order in April after the company could not demonstrate its ability to operate and keep emissions of lead and particulate matter within permitted levels. Northern Iron appealed the order to Ramsey County District Court and asked for a temporary injunction to prevent MPCA from enforcing its administrative order until the appeal could be decided. The court ordered mediation between the MPCA and Northern Iron, which concluded on June 21.

The MPCA respectfully disagrees with Ramsey County District Court’s order to temporarily lift parts of the administrative order, paving the way for Northern Iron to operate to the company’s fullest extent — despite the company’s own modeling information that shows emissions levels of three different pollutants far above the acceptable levels established by the Clean Air Act.

The court’s order requires Northern Iron to:

• Monitor its emissions and reduce its operations if the monitors show emissions in excess of the national ambient air quality standards.
• Replace or supplement existing PurpleAir community air quality sensors with approved devices for permitting or regulatory monitoring.
• Install new emissions control equipment on an expedited basis to ensure compliance with Minnesota and national standards.
• Submit a revised permit application by September 13, 2024, that includes modeling that shows the company can operate without exceeding national standards for lead and particulate matter.

As Northern Iron ramps up operations, the MPCA will continue to monitor emissions of lead and particulate matter in the air surrounding the facility while we also evaluate the court order and next steps. Should pollution from the facility exceed regulations, the MPCA stands ready to take swift action to hold the company accountable to protect the health of Payne-Phalen residents and company employees.

The next court date is scheduled for August 22, 2024, to address the MPCA’s motion to dismiss the legal action and reinstate the administrative order. On Sept. 16, 2024, there will be a hearing to review the temporary injunction.

As part of MPCA's commitment to transparency and keeping the community updated, we send regular updates about Northern Iron and air quality in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood. Please email your questions and concerns to northern.iron@state.mn.us and visit the Northern Iron web page for the latest information or to sign up for regular email updates. 

The mission of the MPCA is to protect and improve the environment and human health.

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