Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Dan McLean, 651-297-1607 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 St. Paul, Minn. - Endres Processing LLC, of Rosemount, has paid a $30,000 civil penalty to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for, among other alleged violations, storing approximately 600 tons of solid waste outdoors, uncovered and without a permit. The violations occurred between September 2006 and March 2007. Endres Processing's Rosemount facility is located on a bluff above the Mississippi River, about eight miles upstream of Hastings. The facility processes discarded food products, such as baked goods, dried foods, snack foods, candy, and dairy and grain products, and converts them into animal feed. According to the MPCA, Endres needed a solid waste permit to store these waste materials. Nevertheless, the company stored them outdoors without cover or containment, allowing polluted water from the waste to drain to the river. In addition, Endres did not satisfactorily collect and transport solid waste to a permitted solid waste facility. Instead, Endres sent waste to the Great Western Terminal in St. Paul, which did not hold a permit to store, transfer or dispose of solid waste. Responding to a complaint on Nov. 3, 2006, the MPCA documented 1,200 tons of rotting bakery waste at the terminal, stored outdoors, close to the Mississippi River, and with no system in place to prevent polluted water from leaving the site. On March 19, 2007, MPCA staff inspected the Rosemount facility and documented the outdoor storage of food waste - approximately 600 tons of the waste observed the previous week was still present outside the processing building. In at least two locations, food waste was piled up on unprotected ground. MPCA inspectors also observed water that had been in contact with the waste pooled on a clogged storm-sewer inlet. In addition to paying the $30,000 civil penalty, Endres has agreed to remove and properly manage all solid waste stored outside at its processing facility by delivering the material to a facility that is authorized to handle it. Endres also agreed to abide by a housekeeping program (that it agreed to in a 2003 stipulation agreement with the MPCA) that involves daily cleanup and removal of waste from outdoor areas. A stipulation agreement is one of the tools the MPCA uses to achieve compliance with environmental laws. When calculating penalties, the agency 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. The MPCA 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 www.pca.state.mn.us/newscenter/enforcement.html.