Court: As long as city checks the right boxes, it’s OK to add pollution to an already polluted neighborhood

A Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge issued a ruling today which may have followed the letter of law, but it defies a common sense understanding of fairness.

The East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) has tried to block the city of Minneapolis from expanding its Public Works yard onto what is known as the Roof Depot site, which would add more car exhaust and diesel pollution to already polluted neighborhood.

The court’s decision also precludes EPNI (for now) from its plans to improve and strengthen the neighborhood by redeveloping the Roof Depot site in a community-owned asset: a mixed use development with an urban farm, affordable housing, and a solar array.