Contact: Dan Olson, 218-846-8108
Detroit Lakes, Minn. — Johnson Oil, based in Hallock, Minn., has agreed to pay a $24,500 civil penalty and completed actions requested by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to settle alleged violations of storage tank rules at the company’s facilities in Hallock and Roseau.
MPCA staff conducted inspections at one Johnson Oil bulk storage site in Hallock and two in Roseau in April 2009. Among other things, the inspections found a number of deficiencies in tank and line labeling; tank corrosion and overfill protection; leak detection, monitoring and reporting; and tank maintenance.
The company has completed actions the MPCA requested to address areas of concern identified in the inspection reports.
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, visit the agency’s Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/newscenter/enforcement.html.
