Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media Contact: Michael Rafferty, (651) 297-8294 Technical Contact: Katie Koelfgen, (651) 297-8506 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 St. Paul, Minn. -- Dan's Container Service will pay a $10,000 penalty for the improper management of solid waste at its waste transfer, storage and processing facility. The company is located at 505 Century Ave. in Newport. Alleged violations for improper management included excess storage of waste on site, storage of waste without adequate environmental controls, failure to dispose of waste at a permitted disposal facility and storage of waste tires without the necessary permit. More than 30 cubic yards of solid waste was stored on site, some waste was burned and at least 100 old tires were piled at the facility. After discovery of the violation, Dan's Container Service reduced the volume of waste stored at the facility and stopped burning waste. The company is in the process of removing the tires and is adding the necessary environmental controls including containers for waste or recyclable materials. Levying penalties and fines is one of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency'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. For a comprehensive list of enforcement actions by the MPCA, refer to the agency Web site at/newscenter/enforcement.html.