Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Nancy Miller, (507) 280-3590 Rochester, Minn. -- Darling International Inc., a rendering facility located in Blue Earth, has paid $12,650 to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for alleged violations of the facility's wastewater discharge permit. In addition, the company has made several changes in its operation to ensure future compliance with environmental regulations. During a February 2006 compliance inspection, MPCA staff noted violations of permit limits in water discharged by the facility and identified several deficiencies in its discharge monitoring reports. In addition, several system overflows were documented between May 2004 and May 2007. Investigation into the spills revealed that proper operation and maintenance of the facility could have prevented or reduced the impact of these overflows. Darling International has completed several actions required to bring the facility back into compliance with its wastewater discharge permit. The company has updated its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and submitted the appropriate wastewater discharge permit modification application. The modified permit incorporates revisions needed at the facility to ensure future compliance with effluent limits. The settlement, known as a stipulation agreement, is one of the tools the MPCA uses to achieve compliance with environmental laws. 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. The agency 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/newscenter/enforcement.html.