Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Dan McLean, 651-297-1607 Saint Paul, Minn. -- Fabcon Inc., a pre-cast concrete panel manufacturer in Savage, has agreed to pay a $32,623 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of state stormwater and wastewater rules. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Fabcon released sediment-laden stormwater to a wildlife wetland in the Minnesota River Valley. In addition to the civil penalty, Fabcon has agreed to perform two supplemental environmental projects with an estimated value of $320,000. The company agreed to donate $20,000 to the Scott County chapter of Pheasants Forever to fund a wetland restoration project in the county. For the other project, the company will install water-conservation equipment at an estimated cost of $300,000. During inspections in 2005, MPCA staff discovered that a water recycling system installed by the company in 1994 occasionally discharged water used in manufacturing through an overflow pipe onto the facility grounds near an unprotected stormwater drain. Some of the stormwater discharged to wetlands in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. At MPCA's request, the company immediately dismantled the overflow pipe and upgraded the recycling system to eliminate overflows. Fabcon also applied for and received a stormwater permit from the MPCA, storm-sewer drains were plugged and the company installed an approved stormwater management system. By taking these actions as required by the MPCA, the company now complies with wastewater and stormwater regulations. Levying civil penalties is also one of the MPCA's many tools used to encourage 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.