People in Philips neighborhood of Minneapolis felt they could breathe easier after the Smith Foundry shut down in August of 2024, following regulatory actions. Hopefully, neighbors will experience fewer health problems after the closure. However, demolition of a contaminated site can spread pollution through dust and runoff, and the work at the Smith Foundry site raised dust, according to a recent Sahan Journal article.
Minneapolis fines crew demolishing Smith Foundry for failing to control dust
An independent journalist captured video of dust from the demolition drifting beyond the site even though crews tried to control it with water hoses.
https://sahanjournal.com/climate-environment/smith-foundry-demolition-fined-citation-south-minneapolis/
Pollution often doesn’t stick to its own neighborhood. South Minneapolis experienced arsenic contamination from a factory that made grasshopper pesticide, affecting about 1,480 acres in across a few neighborhoods. This contamination was designated as a Superfund site, and the EPA did a lot of soil removal 15-20 years ago. There may still be some arsenic in the immediate area of the Smith Foundry site, based on findings from the old Roof Depot site nearby. This all adds to the concern about the demolition, especially because there are homes and a day care very near.
Arsenic contamination and cleanup: South Minneapolis Residential Soil Contamination Cleanup Activities
https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.cleanup&id=0509136
The Minneapolis Department of Health levied a small fine against the demolition contractors after residents reported dust from the demolition. Spraying water on the structures during demolition is a common way to mitigate the dust, and it seems like the contractors sprayed more water to control dust after the city acted. Removal of the foundation will probably occur soon, and there’s concern about what may be in the soil, particularly arsenic. Ongoing sampling will help protect residents from exposure to arsenic resulting from the foundation removal.
Cleaning up pollution is complex, and may be costly if done carefully. However, not doing it carefully is costly in terms of human health. This is a topic we all should learn more about, and we can make a difference. The East Phillips Improvement Coalition led a lot of the work in getting government agencies involved, and insisting that the cleanup be done carefully. As a result of their work, along with lots of support from their City Council member, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is now more likely to listen and respond effectively to citizen complaints. Also, the Minneapolis Health Department is working on improving the ordinances around demolition. Currently, these ordinances don’t have any rules to address public health resulting from demolition. We can influence the development of the new ordinance, by contacting the Health Department with our support, and talking to City Council and the Mayor.
For more concerted efforts, we might find help from these sources:
Hennepin County > Property > Site cleanup and assessment funds
https://www.hennepin.us/business/property/brownfields
Contamination Cleanup and Investigation Grants
The Contamination Cleanup and Investigation Grant Program helps communities pay for assessing and cleaning up contaminated sites for private or public redevelopment.
https://mn.gov/deed/government/financial-assistance/cleanup/contamination.jsp
Further reading
Economic, Legal, and Practical Problems in Hazardous Waste Cleanup and Management
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK217571/
Millions of Americans Live Near Toxic Waste Sites. How Does This Affect Their Health?
https://housingmatters.urban.org/articles/millions-americans-live-near-toxic-waste-sites-how-does-affect-their-health
How do you clean up a fire disaster unlike any other in modern times? ‘It’s going to be an enormous undertaking’
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/16/climate/la-fires-clean-up-recovery/index.html
Firefighters and Cancer Risk
Firefighters are at an increased risk of developing cancer. There are steps to take that can reduce that risk.
https://www.lls.org/managing-your-cancer/firefighters-and-cancer-risk
