A south Minneapolis iron foundry that repeatedly violated federal law with its air pollution also failed to protect employees from exposure to hazardous chemicals, according to a federal inspection.
The Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that Smith foundry improperly exposed employees to carbon monoxide and respirable crystalline silica, and didn’t provide them with the proper protective equipment or training to mitigate such exposure, according to a news release from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
Smith Foundry, which is currently under an enforcement process with the Environmental Protection Agency for violating the federal Clean Air Act, also didn’t provide employees with baseline medical examinations “within 30 days of assignment.” It also failed to provide new employees with proper respiration and mitigation training, according to the MPCA.
The violations, which were issued last month and made public Tuesday, stem from an OSHA inspection last December. The agency fined Smith Foundry $15,300 for 10 violations labeled as “serious” in its findings.
Smith Foundry has appealed all of the violations, according to OSHA’s website.
Smith Foundry spokesperson Blois Olson said in a prepared statement that the company “has made improvements” on the issues identified by OSHA. Olson added that the foundry is working with OSHA and “look[s] forward to a resolution that accurately reflects the situation and builds on our rigorous workplace health and safety efforts.”
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“We are fully committed to maintaining clean air standards for our neighbors and ensuring a safe workplace for our union employees,” Olson said. “We believe we have adequately addressed these issues through significant investments in the foundry.”
The OSHA violations come months after the federal Environmental Protection Agency publicly revealed that Smith Foundry violated Clean Air Act several times between October 2022 and April 2023. The foundry, which is located at 1855 E 28th St, is still working to come into compliance with air standards.
The pollution violations were discovered during a surprise inspection by the EPA in May 2023.
The most recent findings don’t surprise neighborhood activists who are seeking to shut down the foundry. Joe Vital, an East Phillips resident, said his concerns and sympathies go out to Smith Foundry workers.
“Folks shouldn’t have to sacrifice their air quality for a paying job, and now we’re seeing workers are paying the price for the cost of how business is conducted,” Vital said.
Vital emphasized that Smith Foundry is located in a densely populated area, and can’t operate without harming residents in the neighborhood, which features a population that is more than three-quarters people of color.
“We need places like Smith to meet the needs of society,” he said. “But does it belong in an urban core populated with mostly people of color? It doesn’t belong there.”
Jolene Jones, a resident of the Little Earth housing complex and a member of Little Earth Protectors, said many residents in the neighborhood have respiratory problems like asthma, which she believes is linked to Smith Foundry emissions.
“Little Earth has always taken the stand that we’re worried about the workers and their families, too,” Jones said of the complex, which is home to a large Native community. “Because if we’re getting this, the workers are getting it, and it’s just been proven.”
Jones said that Little Earth Protectors is meeting with staff from Governor Tim Walz’s office later this week to share their general concerns about the foundry. She said she will push for closure of the foundry and compensation and job training for the workers.
“I have faith in our governor, and that he’s going to listen to us,” Jones said. “We’re the most diverse neighborhood in Minnesota.”
The OSHA investigation into Smith Foundry is ongoing, and the next step involves the two sides meeting to discuss the matter, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Correction: A previous version of this story stated that the federal OSHA made the findings against Smith Foundry. In fact, the Minnesota OSHA made the findings.
