Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Stephen Mikkelson, (218) 855-5001 Brainerd, Minn. -- Cold Spring Brewing Co. and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) have reached an agreement that requires the company to pay $39,960 for alleged violations at its energy drink and beer production facility in Cold Spring, Minn. The violations included failing to have a certified operator to supervise land application of byproducts, failing to conduct required soil testing at land application sites, and exceeding maximum allowable land application rates for nitrogen between 2003 and 2006. The company also failed to submit, or submitted late, monthly discharge-monitoring reports 37 times since 2003, and failed to obtain a required industrial stormwater permit from the MPCA. In addition to the $39,960 civil penalty, the MPCA required Cold Spring Brewing to complete a series of corrective actions to ensure future compliance. 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, refer to the agency's Web site at hhref="/newscenter/enforcement.html.