Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media contact: Dan Olson, 218-846-8108 Detroit Lakes, Minn. -- Industrial Finishing Services, Perham, has agreed to pay a $28,000 civil penalty and has completed actions requested by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to settle alleged violations of state regulations, including those covering industrial wastewater disposal and hazardous waste storage and record-keeping. The alleged violations were observed during MPCA inspections at sites operated by the company in Deer Creek, Perham and New York Mills during the second half of 2007. Taken into consideration during this enforcement action was the company's past history of similar alleged violations identified during inspections dating back to 2001. Among other things, inspection reports from 2007 allege the company failed to properly dispose of industrial wastewater, failed to inspect stored wastes, failed to consistently label hazardous waste and used oil, and failed to store wastes according to state rules. Inspectors also alleged problems with recordkeeping, emergency preparedness and employee training. The company has completed steps the MPCA requested to address areas of concern identified in the inspection reports. 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.