Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Stephen Mikkelson, 218-855-5001 Brainerd, Minn. -- Silverstreak Dairy LLC, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) have reached an agreement that requires the company to pay $11,700 for alleged feedlot violations at its facility near Buckman, Minn., in southern Morrison County. The violations included beginning construction of a runoff storage area, and making modifications to a manure storage area without receiving required approval from the MPCA. In making the modifications, the company did not follow standards, such as installing depth markers and maintaining at least one-foot of space between the liquid manure and the lip of the storage area. A November 2007 MPCA staff inspection confirmed that there had also been a discharge of liquid manure from one of the storage areas that did not reach any water bodies, but was not reported to authorities. In addition to paying the $11,700 civil penalty to the MPCA, the company must also provide documentation that it has installed depth markers and that appropriate standards will be followed at all existing and new liquid manure storage areas. The MPCA regulates the collection, transportation, storage, processing and disposal of animal manure, and provides assistance to counties and the livestock industry. More information about feedlot regulation and assistance available is on the MPCA Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us. 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.