The U.S. Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency have reached an agreement with Maynard Steel Casting Company to install monitors and improve air pollution controls at the company's facility in Milwaukee. The company will also pay a $25,000 civil penalty.
Under the settlement agreement, Maynard Steel will take various actions to improve air emissions from the facility, including installing monitors at its foundry at 2856 South 27th Street in order to determine compliance with air quality standards for particulate matter, including manganese. Maynard has also made repairs and upgrades to the facility's air pollution controls on its metal-melting furnaces.
Maynard's steel foundry is in area where many residents have low incomes and is located near a hospital, school and public park. Particulate matter pollution has been linked to decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, and premature death in people with heart or lung disease. Chronic exposure to manganese, a hazardous air pollutant, may result in neurological damage.