In the middle of August, Smith Foundry melted and cast iron for the last time in south Minneapolis. 

August 16 marked the first day in more than 100 years that a metal foundry was not operating in south Minneapolis’ East Phillips neighborhood. Neighbors gathered at a local park to celebrate. They remembered the years they’d spent complaining about pollution and health concerns before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a surprise inspection at the factory that ultimately led to its closure. 

Tracking the case at Smith Foundry was a major piece of climate coverage at Sahan Journal in 2024, and a story of a long-delayed victory in the environmental justice movement. Other communities weren’t so lucky. In East St. Paul, we’ve tracked the story of Northern Iron, another foundry accused of serious pollution violations that has sued the state to continue operating at full force. 

We’ve told stories of environmental struggles and solutions across Minnesota. From innovative building strategies, to energy justice advocates battling to ensure regulators properly implement laws, our coverage has attempted to tell the story of climate change in the state. 

Here are some of our biggest stories of the year. 

When I first got tipped off about federal environmental violations at Smith Foundry in south Minneapolis last November, it was immediately clear that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency wasn’t prepared to respond. That was odd because it was clear in the EPA documents that the state agency had been notified of the issues. I submitted data requests to get a better understanding of what was happening inside the agency, and received hundreds of emails months later.I found an agency ill-equipped to enforce regulations at facilities like Smith Foundry, located in neighborhoods known to be overly polluted. The MPCA says it has learned from the incident. 

On St. Paul’s East Side, a second century-old metal foundry has been accused of failing to control dangerous pollutants in a diverse, working-class neighborhood. In April, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ordered Northern Iron to drastically reduce its hours to prevent excessive pollution, causing an uproar in the community. But Northern Iron appealed the order in court, and now the case has been dragging out for months.

In September, photojournalist Dymahn Chhoun and I went around the neighborhood, talking to people living in the foundry’s shadow. Among them were many immigrant families, several of whom were unaware of the issues at the nearby factory.

When Minnesota lawmakers passed a landmark law ordering all electricity in the state be generated by carbon-free sources by 2040, they thought the intent was clear. But in September, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, a governor-appointed body that oversees utilities, made a ruling that allowed for a broader interpretation.

The PUC declined to adopt the same carbon-free definition in the law, and left the door open to allow power generated by burning wood biomass and waste to be considered carbon-free. Because burning inherently releases carbon,that decision rubbed lawmakers and environmental groups the wrong way. 

What do you do when your favorite pants rip? For many of us, the sad answer is to throw them away. But tossing old or damaged clothing is contributing to a growing issue in Minnesota and across the country: a rise in textile waste.

Fast fashion and online shopping have exacerbated issues of textile waste. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is trying to build its knowledge of the problem, which can be hard to track. The state also funded mend-it clinics run by Reuse Minnesota, a nonprofit that is helping people fix their textile goods at events throughout the state. Photographer Aaron Nesheim and I attended a clinic in June and learned about this important effort. 

The future of climate-friendly housing is under construction in north Minneapolis, where Urban Homeworks is building hyper-efficient passive-homes. Passive home construction uses techniques to ensure high-level insulation that helps lower emissions and energy bills.

The project site was the coolest construction job I’ve visited in my career, and offered real insights into how to build a better, greener future. The homes will be topped with solar panels and should have virtually no power bills, ensuring greater long-term affordability to future residents.