Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Stephen Mikkelson, 218-316-3887 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 mailto:stephen.mikkelson@state.mn.us St. Paul, Minn. - M.A. Mortensen Company of Minneapolis and Bethel University have reached an agreement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency that requires the two parties to pay the MPCA a combined $54,825 for alleged stormwater violations. The violations occurred at the university's expansion project in Arden Hills, Minn. Ramsey Conservation District staff conducted inspections of the project site between July 2007 and March 2008. The inspections revealed several stormwater violations including an uncontrolled concrete wash out area, improper dewatering, and failing to inspect and maintain silt fencing. These violations resulted in excess erosion and allowed sediment-laden stormwater to discharge into area wetlands and into Valentine Lake, just west of the university. Valentine Lake is on the MPCA's list of impaired waters. In addition to paying the $54,825 civil penalty, the parties were required to bring the site into compliance, submit plans to remove excess sediment from impacted areas and maintain a designated concrete wash out area. All the corrective actions have been completed. Minnesota law requires businesses and contractors to apply for a stormwater permit when construction projects disturb more than one acre of soil. The MPCA offers outreach and training to help contractors meet their permit requirements. For more information on stormwater permits, call Lisa Woog, MPCA compliance coordinator, at 218-316-3891 or toll-free at 1-800-657-3864. 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 Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/newscenter/enforcement.html.