Contacts: Cathy Rofshus, 507-206-2608
Rochester, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Bimeda, a manufacturer of veterinary pharmaceutical products in LeSueur, Minn., have reached an agreement that resolves alleged environmental violations. The company was given a $7,000 civil penalty and will complete a $58,800 Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) consisting of several energy efficiency upgrades at its LeSueur facility.
Bimeda generates hazardous wastes from pharmaceutical manufacturing and lab processes. During an inspection of the facility in February 2009, the MPCA found that Bimeda failed to properly manage several thousand pounds of hazardous waste, including storing flammable materials on-site without the proper permit, improper disposal of hazardous waste pharmaceuticals, failing to label waste as “hazardous,” storing hazardous waste in an open container and failing to inspect hazardous waste on a weekly basis.
As part of its agreement with the MPCA, Bimeda agreed to replace lighting, heating and air conditioning systems with more energy-efficient units at its LeSueur facility.
The agreement, 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.
