MINNEAPOLIS— Over the past five years, WCCO has exposed the persistent pollution problems at Water Gremlin, from releasing a cancer-causing chemical to hazardous waste violations and leading migration. The White Bear Township plant now has that new owners and a new namebut its past will mean a better future for workers across Minnesota.
In the end of session frenzy, a bill that regulates employee safety.
“Because I was in the middle of it,” Steven Wurtz said when asked why it’s important to him. “You know, I’ve been through this. I saw what happened at the company.”
Wurtz brought first his worries to WCCO last year, questioning the level of allowable lead exposure for people who work with it. At the time he worked for Water Gremlin, a factory that makes lead-acid battery terminals. He was so determined to make a difference, he testified before the Senate Labor Committee.
“You know, I was very excited when I spoke to the Senate. They had an open ear,” Wurtz said.
DFL Senator Heather Gustafson was one of those open ears, taking up the issue after following WCCO’s investigation into the pollution problems at Water Gremlin.
“We found that the amount of lead that workers were exposed to was also an issue. We hadn’t really addressed that yet,” Gustafson said.
She proposed the bill that now requires government agencies concerned with the safety and health of employees to look at new rules.
“The idea is that the agencies will decide what is an acceptable level of lead in the blood for workers to be as safe as possible while they are on the job and before they can return to work,” Gustafson said.
There is funding attached so the Department of Labor and Industry and the state health department can update the rule. A total of $174,000 is available for technical assistance through 2026. The new rules will impact businesses across the state in areas such as construction, manufacturing, transportation and remediation.
“It did cost some money and this is not a budget year, so that tells me that this is a priority for our caucus and for our, you know, our leaders, which is great,” Gustafson said.
The last lead standard was established by federal OSHA more than forty years ago. Gustafson calls it outdated.
“We know a lot more about lead now. And so we’re just learning about its effects and how serious they are. So the work will have to continue,” Gustafson says. “Minnesota should have companies that provide a safe environment for their employees, and especially if there is something that would expose their families to the concerns they might encounter in our workplace, I cannot stand by and do nothing.”
Wurtz says it’s been a tough road, but he’s proud this new law will protect more people.
“Absolutely,” Wurtz said when asked if it was worth saying anything. “I see results, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. So it gives me enormous hope for the next step.”
Next, the health and labor departments will examine existing standards and agree on rule changes. That process will likely include a public hearing. It could take two years to complete.
