Minnesota

Minnesota’s pollution complaint system faulted in report on Smith Foundry

Published

1 year ago

February 13, 2025

Minnesota’s pollution complaint system faulted in report on Smith Foundry

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency failed to properly track complaints about a polluting foundry in south Minneapolis, according to a report released Thursday by the state Office of the Legislative Auditor.

Smith Foundry, an iron casting site that operated in Minneapolis’ diverse East Phillips neighborhood for over a century, was a source of neighborhood discontent for decades. Between 2018 and 2023, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) received 18 complaints about the site, but didn’t have any record of its response for a third of those, the report said.

Other complaints mentioning bad smells were sent on to the city of Minneapolis. State law has since changed, and MPCA is now in charge of investigating odor complaints. The Legislative Auditor’s report did not find the agency had fallen short on investigating the smells since it became responsible for them in May 2023.

The findings are similar to what the Star Tribune found in 2023: When many neighbors complained about smells from the foundry, their concerns were shuttled to the city of Minneapolis, and mostly went nowhere.

The agency is now “creating a process to better coordinate on complaints with local jurisdictions,” spokeswoman Becky Lentz wrote in an email. MPCA also told the Legislative Auditor that it plans to introduce a new reporting system, which will allow the public to upload pictures and location information with their cellphones.

Allison Lind, a nurse whose young son attends a day care across from the former foundry site, was one of the people who filed a complaint with MPCA. Because she mentioned odors, the complaint was re-directed to the city of Minneapolis.

“Our complaints about pollution went through the cracks, and were unaddressed,” Lind said.

She added that the report showed MPCA needed to “dramatically improve” enforcement of pollution permits.

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Minnesota

Listen: Messy winter weather on its way to northern Minnesota

Published

48 minutes ago

February 17, 2026

Press Room

Listen: Messy winter weather on its way to northern Minnesota

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

Hi, I’m the Brainerd Dispatch. I started working a few days before Christmas in 1881 and became a daily paper two years later. I’ve gone through a lot of changes over the years, but what has never changed is my commitment to community and to local journalism. I’ve got an entire team of dedicated people who work night and day to make sure I go out every morning, whether in print, as an e-edition, via an app or with additional information at www.brainerddispatch.com. News, weather, sports — videos, photos, podcasts and social media — all covering stories from central Minnesota about your neighbors, your lakes, your communities, your challenges and your opportunities. It’s all part of the effort to keep people connected and informed. And we couldn’t do it without support.

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Minnesota

Community rallies after fire damages historic Minnesota mill

Published

13 hours ago

February 17, 2026

Press Room

Community rallies after fire damages historic Minnesota mill

The Holdingford Mill in central Minnesota was heavily damaged after huge flames tore through it on Sunday night. The loss is already being felt across the farming community where the mill played a critical role in supplying custom feed. Photojournalist Nick Lunemann and Marielle Mohs show how the town is responding to the loss.

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Minnesota

Winter Weather Advisory In Minnesota: Rain Turns To Snow, Brace For 10 Inches In Some Areas

Published

1 day ago

February 16, 2026

Press Room

Winter Weather Advisory In Minnesota: Rain Turns To Snow, Brace For 10 Inches In Some Areas

UNDATED (WJON News) — Enjoy one more mild February day.

The National Weather Service says we’ll start seeing changes on Tuesday, with showers and even thunderstorm chances developing in the afternoon and evening.

A transition from rain to snow is expected on Wednesday across western and central Minnesota, though the heavy snow with this initial system will fall across northern Minnesota.

There is a Winter Storm Watch issued for several counties in northern Minnesota. That will be in effect from Tuesday evening through Thursday morning.

Total snow accumulations between 5 and 10 inches except between 7 and 13 inches for the higher terrain of the North Shore, and ice accumulations of around one-tenth of an inch are possible. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.

The next potential system arrives Thursday night with mainly snow, with accumulating snow currently favoring southeast Minnesota into western Wisconsin Thursday night into Friday.

St. Cloud has had 2.7 inches of snow so far in February, which is 1.8 inches below normal. We’ve had 30.5 inches of snow so far for this season, which is average.