Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: CoriAhna Rude-Young, (651) 296-5965 Saint Paul, Minn. -- The owners of Joyner's Die Casting & Plating, a manufacturer of plated and painted zinc die casting products, located at 7801 Xylon Ave. North in Brooklyn Park, have agreed to pay $52,000 for alleged hazardous waste violations. The violations were discovered last year during inspections of the company by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Hennepin County staff. Some of the alleged violations include failure to regularly inspect hazardous waste containers and the company's new wastewater-treatment unit, failure to adequately separate incompatible wastes, failure to properly dispose of hazardous waste, and unintentionally discharging liquid waste too high in copper and nickel to the publicly owned treatment works. In addition to paying the civil penalty, Joyner's Die Casting & Plating will need to submit further documentation showing that it is meeting the requirements of its waste management permit. Proper handling and storage of hazardous materials is important for protecting Minnesota's land, water and air quality. The MPCA offers training and other educational materials to businesses and local units of government so they understand and can operate in accordance with environmental regulations. 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's Web site at hhref="/newscenter/enforcement.html.