Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Mark Sulzbach, 651-296-7768 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 Saint Paul, Minn. -- Enviro-Chem Inc. has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $22,943 to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and complete a $30,000 Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) for alleged air quality and air permit violations at its facility in Rogers, Minn. Enviro-Chem Inc. owns and operates a precious metal recovery facility. Part of its operations includes an incinerator that burns x-ray film to recover the silver. During an inspection in September 2004, MPCA staff discovered several violations including failure to have a certified operator for its incinerator, improper operation of some pollution control equipment, overdue performance tests and various recordkeeping and reporting problems. Besides paying the penalty and completing the SEP, Enviro-Chem Inc. was required to bring its facility into compliance with all applicable air quality requirements. The SEP that Enviro-Chem Inc. has agreed to perform involves the collection and proper disposal of consumer electronic devices in areas outside the seven country metropolitan area at no cost to consumers or counties. Consumer electronics such as computer monitors and televisions contain several pounds of heavy metals that are toxic if released in the environment. They also contain glass, metal and plastic that can be recycled to make new products. When calculating penalties, the MPCA takes into account how seriously the violation affected the environment, whether it was 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 company with environmental laws. For a comprehensive list of enforcement actions by the MPCA, visit the agency Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/newscenter/enforcement.html.