North Ramsey News

Following a fire that raged in a Becker North Metal recycling plant last month, Ramsey County Judge John Guthmann has ordered the plant to not yet open. 

The Northern Metal plant in Minneapolis, however, remains open and operating. 

The plant's massive fire endured for several days, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) called for an investigation of the disaster. The agency also argued that the Minneapolis location should shut down for the time being, too. 

The Becker site will remain closed until the MCPA investigation concludes, but the agency's argument against the Minneapolis location fell flat. 

Guthmann disagreed with the call, arguing that the Minneapolis plant does not hold any correlation to the fire in Becker. Given that the Minneapolis site follows all local fire and safety ordinances, Guthmann deemed the plant should stay open. 

Guthmann didn't speak on Becker, however, citing jurisdictional issues, he passed the Becker Northern Metal plant case along to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. 

Environmentalists praised the closing of the Becker site, but criticized the call to keep Minneapolis's plant open. 

Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy attorney Evan Mulholland told KARE11 News that it doesn't matter that the Minneapolis site had nothing to do with the fire. 

"There's an outstanding code violation right now that the city of Minneapolis cited them for twice on two separate inspections," Mulholland said to KARE11 News.

Mulholland was referencing a code violation that involved stacking scrap metal at a height greater than 20 feet. Should Northern Metal fail the next city inspection, the MCEA will argue for the Minneapolis site to be closed. 

In Becker, the Northern Metal facility will remain closed until the MPCA gives it the green light to reopen. Scrap metal can't be accepted at the location until certain requirements have been satisfied, per the MCPA's ruling.