Neighbors say proposed revised Water Gremlin permit holds plant accountable

WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP, Minn. -- The community is one step closer to holding a manufacturing plant with a history of pollution accountable. The state pollution agency released its latest air permit for Water Gremlin, and neighbors have a chance to weigh in. 

The state fined Water Gremlin millions for releasing elevated and unsafe levels of a cancer-causing chemical into the air for more than a decade.

The discovery was made four years ago.

"We are a community that has faced a lot of harm at the hands of Water Gremlin," neighbor Leigh Thiel said.

Since then, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has worked with the White Bear Township manufacturing plant on an updated air emissions permit. It's designed to ensure history doesn't repeat itself, with emission limits, robust monitoring and inspection, and ways to calculate compliance.

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"It's phenomenal to see that MPCA and MDH is standing behind the community," neighbor Sheri Smith said.

Stakeholders weighed in on the first draft over the summer. Water Gremlin pushed back. The Neighborhood Concerned Citizens Group and others pushed forward. MPCA made changes and bought it back to the community.

"They have doubled down what was in the first round of the permit, and they haven't taken away anything that really means a lot to the community. They have added things which are important," Thiel said.

What comes next is the community and the company has until March third to submit a comment on the revised draft permit.

Water Gremlin sent a statement to WCCO:

Water Gremlin is reviewing the revised draft permit released by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The revised draft permit contains many new changes. The Company submitted comments on the prior draft permit, and we will be submitting additional comments for review as requested by the agency.

The MPCA called the permit legally defensible during a virtual community informational meeting.

"This permit will go a long way to guaranteeing compliance... We're confident we can keep a good handle on what's happening there," Doug Wetzstein with MPCA said.

Click here to review documents and to submit a comment.