Outside Smith Foundry, in the East Phillips neighborhood, there were the sounds of a Native American song, banners of protest, and perhaps, some hope.

“This decision is a long time in coming, it’s very exciting,” says Jolene Jones, a Little Earth Resident. “I think it’s going to make a big difference. I think it will make a big difference to our children, to be able to do things.”

Nearby residents gathered outside Smith Foundry Tuesday evening, celebrating what they call ‘a partial victory.’

“We’ve taken off two major polluters to this neighborhood,” noted Dean Dovolis, Board Chair of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute. “The fact that Smith Foundry is not manufacturing or smelting steel or iron, or anything else. That takes away a big dose of pollutants.”

Just last year, Bituminous Roadways, right next door to the foundry, shut down its asphalt plant.

On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Smith Foundry itself.  .

The company is to immediately shut down part of its furnace and casting processes, and convert to a metal finishing facility, within twelve months.

The agency says that will ‘drastically reduce emissions.’

“All they’re doing is bending, and shaping and finishing it, and not the smelting or creation of it,” Dovolis says. “It’s a big stepdown in what pollution can occur.”

Smith Foundry must also pay an $80,000 penalty.

The settlement comes after an unannounced EPA inspection in May 2023— where the agency says the foundry failed to operate its pollution control equipment and didn’t maintain required records.

The EPA says particulate emission limits were more than twice the amounts permitted by state regulations.

“I think particulates are a big part of it,” declares Steve Sandberg, who’s lived in the neighborhood since 2007.

He says residents living near the foundry have concerns about asthma and cardiovascular disease.

“They haven’t really been able to tell us what is in what is we’re breathing, but it gives me a headache,” Sandberg says. “I have to go inside because I’ve become sensitive to it.”

A Smith Foundry spokesperson says the company is committed to significantly altering its operations.

That includes discontinuing melting and pouring metal by June of 2025— and focusing on communities where the company operates.

Smith Foundry now employs about fifty people.

The company says the settlement will mean a ‘workforce reduction’— but is working to retain as many people as possible.  

“This strategic initiative is aligned with our values as a company and we believe it will position Smith Foundry for sustained success and growth,” said president of Smith Foundry and the Foundry’s division of Zynik(the parent company), Adolfo Quiroga. “Zynik’s mission is to leave a lasting, positive impact — one company, one community and one person at a time. We are wholeheartedly dedicated to making meaningful contributions that enhance each company that we serve, and we remain committed to focusing our efforts on the communities where we operate. We look forward to continuing to provide our customers with the highest quality products and services for which Smith Foundry is known for.”

Many in the community say they’re now hopeful for the future.

“I have lived here in the neighborhood since I was eleven years old,” Jones says. “Like to get our children healed, maybe some of their asthma can go away. But I’m excited about the future, very excited.”

“Shutting down the furnace and casting operations is a win for this community, which has been historically disenfranchised and overburdened by pollution,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “East Phillips residents deserve to breathe clean air and to live in a healthy, thriving community.

A new release from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency adds that these changes will reduce the Foundry’s emissions and improve air quality in the East Phillips neighborhood.

“The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) remains committed to ensuring clean air for all Minnesotans, and the settlement between Smith Foundry and the EPA is an important step toward protecting residents in the East Phillips community. As the MPCA works to fully understand the settlement and new requirements for Smith Foundry’s operations, we will continue to engage with residents and community leaders around next steps in the permitting process. As part of this work, we will create opportunities to gather data about residents’ lived experiences to help us develop an air permit that protects the community.“

–MPCA