Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contacts: Forrest Peterson, 320-214-3789 Steven LaRoque, 218-846-0472 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 St. Paul, Minn. -- Under two separate actions with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), a manufacturer of electric motors in Montevideo is working to clean up soil and ground water contamination at its facility, and correcting other hazardous waste management violations that resulted in a $20,000 penalty. SL-Montevideo Technology Inc. has agreed to a long-term assessment and cleanup of contamination resulting from a leaking underground tank. The company also addressed separate hazardous waste violations identified by MPCA staff during an inspection in 2003. Earlier, the company conducted an investigation of contamination at its facility during the removal of an 1,800-gallon underground storage tank used to store perchlorethylene. In September 2002, it reported a release from the tank to state authorities and worked with the MPCA's Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup program to ensure that any contamination was identified and cleaned up. Current assessment activities at the site have identified volatile organic compounds and other chemicals in the soils and ground water below the tank in excess of limits set to protect human health and the environment. The company accepted the terms of a corrective action agreement that addressed the proper assessment and cleanup of contamination at the site. The company also agreed to the terms of an unrelated and separate Stipulation Agreement, which addressed the company's noncompliance with hazardous waste regulations identified during the 2003 inspection. That inspection revealed that the company had failed to comply with hazardous waste and used oil accumulation, management, recordkeeping and notification requirements. The company has since corrected all deficiencies and paid a $20,000 penalty. A Stipulation Agreement is one of the tools used to achieve compliance with environmental laws. When calculating penalties, the MPCA takes into account how seriously the violation affected the environment, whether it is a first time or repeat violation, and how promptly the violation was reported to appropriate authorities. It also attempts to recover the calculated economic benefit gained by failure to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner. For a comprehensive list of enforcement actions by the MPCA, go to the agency Web site at hhref="/newscenter/enforcement.html.