Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media Contact: Anne Perry Moore, 218-723-2356 Technical Contact: Bob Beresford, 218-723-4664 Toll-free (all staff, voice and TTY): 800-657-3864 Duluth, Minn.-- The Duluth Missabe and Iron Range Railroad Company (DM & IR) recently paid a $71,875 civil penalty for alleged violations of air quality standards and agreed to comply with state environmental regulations at two of the company's dock facilities, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced today. The DM & IR transports taconite pellets from three Iron Range plants to company loading docks in Duluth and Two Harbors. The penalty resulted from 18 violations of air quality standards caused by dust emissions in 2004 at both docking facilities during pellet unloading, moving, stockpiling and ship loading. The MPCA and DM & IR settlement amended two previous air quality agreements from 2004. The latest agreements addressed the 2004 violations and the company's past failure to comply with state rules governing ambient air quality standards. The DM & IR will continue to implement plans to reduce dust at its Duluth and Two Harbors facilities as required by the earlier agreements. In response to similar air quality violations between 2001 and 2003, DM & IR agreed to install more effective equipment to suppress dust emissions and continue monitoring ambient air quality for dust. Despite making equipment and operational improvements in 2003, including applying more water to dusty pellets, air quality violations recurred at both docks resulting in a combined penalty of $41,750 in 2003. Stipulation agreements, similar to an out-of-court settlement, are one of the MPCA's many tools used 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. 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/newscenter/enforcement.html. For more information on air quality permits and emission standards, call Bob Beresford, MPCA air quality inspector, at 218-723-4664 or 1-800-657-3864.