East Oakland Foundry Operator to Pay $274,000 Fine for Harmful Emissions Leaks

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled with a shuttered Bay Area metal foundry over multiple violations of the Clean Air Act.

The EPA alleged that AB&I, which operated an iron foundry in East Oakland for more than 100 years, failed to monitor its emissions and released dangerous particulate matter into the surrounding community.

AB&I, a subsidiary of parent company McWane Inc., was fined $274,000 for breaching its operating permit and exceeding federal emissions standards on at least five occasions between 2018-2020.

“Excess and untested air emissions from facilities like this have caused harm to our East Bay communities,” EPA Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said, adding that the agency would continue to identify and fine facilities that don’t comply with federal laws.

According to the EPA, AB&I did not monitor and record leaking particulate matter, which can cause serious health problems if inhaled, for almost a year.

The foundry emitted excessive particulate matter in December 2018 and January 2019 while testing air filters that were supposed to remove those harmful particles, and AB&I failed to install air quality monitors that met compliance requirements in at least three instances.

In 2021, AB&I and McWane were sued by Communities for a Better Environment, an environmental nonprofit. Then, in 2022, Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit on behalf of the state. In July, Bonta and the group announced a $2.5 million settlement with McWane over dangerous carcinogen emissions.

Bonta said the emissions disproportionately affected residents of color and low-income people, who make up the majority of the East Oakland neighborhood where AB&I operated.

Ten schools were located within a mile of the foundry, including two elementary schools less than half a mile away.

McWane, which closed the foundry in 2022, did not immediately respond to KQED’s request for comment.