Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media Contact: Stephen Mikkelson, 218-855-5001 Toll free: 1-800-657-3864 EDITOR'S NOTE: These cases are from the following counties: Anoka, Blue Earth, Carlton, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Lake, Martin, Olmsted, Sherburne, Stearns, Stevens and Wabasha. St. Paul, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) concluded 22 enforcement cases totaling slightly more than $1.3 million in penalties during the first quarter of 2005. These cases occurred at facilities in 13 counties throughout Minnesota. Of the $1,330,909 in penalties last quarter, more than $980,000 will be spent on Supplemental Environmental Projects. Often times SEPs are included as part of enforcement actions. The projects are intended to provide extra environmental and/or public health benefits in addition to companies paying civil penalties. The SEPs from last quarter that will be completed include: · USG Interiors of Cloquet will install air pollution control leak detectors to reduce emissions and dust fallout in residential areas. They will also install a system of tanks, valves and controls to reduce the amount of wastewater discharged to the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District. This will cost the company more than $550,000. · Metropolitan Airport Commission, Minneapolis Fuel Committee and Aircraft Services International Inc., will spend a combined $370,000 at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. The projects include replacing parts of jet fuel pipelines, monitoring ground-water quality and replacing manual valves with remotely-operated gates at stormwater ponds. · Gopher Resource Corp. of Eagan will spend $55,000 to fund a project to assist homeowners with the costs of properly testing, excavating and managing waste from homes with lead acid batteries or casings buried and incorporated into septic systems. This was a fairly common practice used in septic system installations in the 1960s and 1970s. The following is a brief summary of all 22 cases completed during the first quarter of 2005: $569,941 -- USG Interiors Inc., Cloquet, for air quality violations. $494,998 -- Metropolitan Airport Commission, Minneapolis Fuel Committee, Airport Services International Inc., Minneapolis, for hazardous waste, stormwater, above ground storage tank and emergency response violations. $65,000 -- Gopher Resource Corporation, Eagan, for hazardous waste violations. $56,000 -- Cliffs Erie LLC., Schroeder, for water quality violations. $45,000 -- Airport Services International Inc., Minneapolis, for hazardous waste and stormwater violations. $28,000 -- Industrial Container Services LLC. & Consolidated Container Company LLC., for air quality and hazardous waste violations. $9,750 -- Shadow Woods Development (C-Mark, Inc.), Sherburne County, for asbestos and solid waste violations. $9,600 -- Davis-Frost Inc., Minneapolis, for hazardous waste and above ground storage tank violations. $6,620 -- Professional Plating Inc., Anoka, for hazardous waste violations. $5,000 -- Cold Spring Granite Company, Cold Spring, for air quality violations. $5,000 -- Triple J. Land and Livestock LLC., Fairmont, for feedlot and air quality violations. $4,200 -- Hancock Wastewater Treatment Plant, Hancock, for wastewater violations. $4,200 -- Prow Companies Inc., Rochester, for solid waste and asbestos violations. $4,200 -- Northshore Mining, Silver Bay, for air quality violations. $3,675 -- Royal Johnson, Rochester, for solid waste and asbestos violations. $3,500 -- Heidmann and Donovan LLC., Pequot Lakes, for stormwater violations. $3,500 -- Schleicher Funeral Home, Plainview, for asbestos violations. $3,500 -- Gopher Company & Viking Disposal, Minneapolis, for solid waste violations. $3,500 -- Sappi Cloquet LLC., Cloquet, for air quality violations. $2,000 -- Preferred Sewer & Water Inc., Rochester, for solid waste and asbestos violations. $1,975 -- Dotson Company Inc., Mankato, for air quality violations. $1,750 -- Fox Ridge Association Inc., Rochester, for water quality violations. A complete summary of environmental enforcement actions and news releases can be found on the MPCA's News Media Center Web page at hhref="/newscenter/index.html For questions on specific enforcement cases, please contact Stephen Mikkelson, Information Officer at 218-855-5001, or toll free at 1-800-657-3864.