120-Year Foundry Closes Doors Amid Environmental Battles

Northern Iron and Machine, a 120-year-old foundry on St. Paul's East Side, is scheduled to close by the end of 2026. This decision will lead to phased layoffs starting October 1, 2026, affecting approximately 86 employees, including 50 members of the United Steel Workers.

The foundry has been a focal point of environmental scrutiny for years, particularly from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The MPCA initiated legal action to revoke the foundry's operating permit due to air quality concerns, a move Northern Iron contested through litigation. An administrative law judge's ruling on the permit denial is still pending.

Community organizers and residents in the Payne-Phalen area have also raised concerns. In March 2025, neighborhood residents filed a class action lawsuit against the foundry owners, alleging nuisance, negligence, and pollution trespass. Previous MPCA findings in 2020 indicated unauthorized equipment changes that increased particulate matter emissions.

Northern Iron has stated that investments and good-faith efforts to resolve environmental and permitting issues were ultimately unsuccessful. The company cited the absence of a "viable and predictable framework for continued operation" as the sole reason for winding down the facility. This closure follows a similar pattern to the Smith Foundry in Minneapolis, which closed in August 2024 due to potential Clean Air Act violations.