Grede Foundry Pollution Sunday 6-21-09 around 6 pm

I video taped this from 1215 North 62nd street address where someone want to build a nursing home?
Grede Liberty Foundry State Street Wauwatosa. North end of property. There were only 4 cars in lot I could see. The site had been quiet since Thursday the 18th of June. They've been pouring mostly at night lately. They work less hours. The economy I guess. Parking lot full during the day and for 3rd shift, but seems everything is shut off often during the day or early afternoons. They've closed evenings Thursdays until opening Sunday evenings. But still when the wind blows our way it's into the house, close the doors and windows and stay indoors.
Even with what appears to be a lack of work, what castings they still pour drives us indoors where we now are forced to use the airconditioner even on nice days when we could get by with open windows!
At the time of my video I do not believe they were pouring iron yet. There were only 4 cars I could see in the lot. And it seemed to me all the machinary you normally hear so loudly was not on yet.
I believe I believe the dust blowing out of the overhead door was the result of a machine shaking the cold sand castings apart from the prior Thursday . I'm told by the DNR that when the castings are shaken apart they are still hot enough to burn more of the chemicals mixed with the sand. But lucky for us they were cooling for almost 4 days.
A scrap metal drier I think was on used to burn off moisture, oil, and I think paint before the iron is melted. Steam can be seen from that device. At least thats what the DNR told me it was from.
I recorded for 26 minutes and it began to rain.
At night while they are working it is dangerous for us to leave our windows open even when we are NOT down wind. The wind can change direction, or stop. When the wind stops since we are in a river valley the valley fills up with the foundries pollution. It fills the house with chemical pollution and you do wake up from it all too late. And if the wind doesn't change directions for days or weeks you are stuck with no air you want to breath in your house.
To the north of the foundry are homes a top a 50' bluff. That bluff which makes up our backyard most often blocks the pollution and the winds blow it toward us concentrated it.
Soon the construction of a 148 unit 4 story apartment building will begin across the street from our home. A funneling effect will be created with the bluff behind us and the new building infront greatly concentrated the stream of air pollution.
The pollution acts as a stream. All the pollutants from the various stages of foundry production rise from vents, ducts, blowers what ever and mix into a soup of foul smelling chemical pollution.
The DNR says that it makes you light headed and dizzy from the chemicals in the air replacing oxygen. So when you breath the pollution you don't get enough oxygen. Dah

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• grede
• foundry
• wisconsin
• DNR
• waswatosa
• pollution
• cancer
• environment
• clean
• air
• Gary
• Kandziora
• WDNR

[intuitivesculpture]

The DNR finally called. The person that opned the door has been reprimanded. Scrap is delievered to this door. Most of the times I viewed it open no trucks were present. I have the right to live any where and expect protection from the police, fire dept., DNR, and the EPA. I only want the present laws and rules enforced. Last year I found out I have cancer. Lucky I had 2 kidneys. I thought living down wind from foundries for 20 years would be dangerous. I have the right to speak out.

[intuitivesculpture]

The fumes are allowed to escape thru roof vents again.

If you look thru the DNR's investigation records of complaints you'd see why this is allowed to continue.

The DNR blames a Wawatosa resturant garbage dumpster for the possible reason for one polution odor complaint.

Most often you see in the reports inspectors spending 10 minutes in the area. Since the pouring isn't done 24/7 the inspectors would have to spend more time here.

[intuitivesculpture]

As I'm told the fumes after that are allowed to pass thru a bag house which are a collectio of giant vacum bags that collect dust. Other places it's just blown thru the roof vents!

The building where the stuff cools down vents thru the roof with 0 pollution control again!

I'm told the doors to this building have signs warning no to enter the building. The hot smoking off gassing castings enter on a conveyor line. The warning is because inside building there is not enough air to live!

[intuitivesculpture]

When? When will the DNR and EPA do something about this company. It is one violation after another with this place! We live down wind from this.

When there pollution goes out roof vents we don't get to see it up close like this.

They don't have enough polution control equipment. They can't even filter out all the dust as you can see here!

As far as fumes I'm told by the DNR..... an acid yes acid scubber only deals with the fumes at the beginning of the process.

[dcnerison]

Hey dummy move some where else.

[tpach09]

Wow alot of people complaing about Grede. If you don't like it move. I live my job at Grede. Been there a month and I have absolutely no complaints over it. Its hard work for the castings that people use every day with out these places alot of comodeties people use every day wouldn't be possible.

[sweetlou217]

i work at a grede. if you were to go in there on a production day as you stated at 6pm i bet the melt deck mold line and clean room are all between 130 and 140 degrees f. you would leave a door open to. also keep bitching do you no how many americans would loose work due to there company laying off due to no work cause they didnt get parts to assyemble. ill list a few ford john deere cat bob cat diamler benze cummins

[alansage3471]

Its a foundry what do you people expect!!!!!!!!!!!!! I worked there for sometime and its what making parts out of molten iron consists of. Quit crying try being on thew inside not the out.

[Zepp3849]

Quit bein a fuckin pussy. Move if you dont like it. I've had to work in a different grede plant for years. You probably expect some sort of settelment for your cancer dont you?

[guitargod259]

I drove by a foundry everyday to work. In fact is was Grede Foundries in Reedsburg Wisconsin. I always saw smoke from the smoke stacks but I never smelt anything. There were tons of house only a few thousand feet from the foundry and I thought it was weird that people would wanna live right across from a pollution machine. The people that used to work there said they could never get the foundry smell out of their cloths, car, and themselves. They also said it was extremely dusty inside the place

[intuitivesculpture]

Yes I do. Roberts-Sinto Green Sand mold and Pouring. This line uses DMEA - Dimethylethylamine. According to the DNR 3 drop of this chemical can stink up the entire Milwaukee base ball stadium if released. This foundry has a permit to use up to 2600 pounds of it a month. It smells like cat urine. It's what the acid scuber if for. But it doesn't work well. An EPA publication even says it doesn't work.

Are u suggesting the thousnads effected move? Anymore questions?

[intuitivesculpture]

Yes and thanks for the kind though.