Contact: Stephen Mikkelson, 218-316-3887, 1-800-657-3864
Saint Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) concluded 43 enforcement cases totaling $687,751 in penalties during the third quarter of 2011. The cases occurred at facilities in 26 counties throughout Minnesota.
The MPCA helps protect the environment by writing and enforcing environmental rules and regulations that set standards for environmental quality and limits on pollutants that can be discharged from facilities. To help regulated parties stay in compliance with rules and regulations, the MPCA conducts inspections, provides training and distributes guidance materials.
In some negotiated enforcement cases called stipulation agreements, part of a monetary penalty is paid toward the completion of a supplemental environmental project. SEPs are intended to provide extra environmental and public health benefits. They are projects which a responsible party agrees to undertake in the settlement of an enforcement action, but which the responsible party is not otherwise legally required to perform. The third quarter included two such cases: Roberts Automatic Products Inc., of Chanhassen, was penalized $287,920, with $279,000 of the penalty paid toward a SEP, and Interplastic Corp., of Vadnais Heights, was penalized $288,800, with $263,800 paid toward a SEP.
The following is a brief summary of the remaining 41 cases completed during the third quarter of 2011:
• $19,000 – Lawrence Hansen, Hansen Hauling & Excavating Inc., Rose Creek, for solid-waste violations.
• $10,000 – Magnetation Mesabi Chief Tailings, Keewatin, for water-quality violations.
• $7,680 – East Side Oil Co., St. Cloud, for hazardous-waste violations.
• $6,840 – Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, Dilworth, for water-quality violations.
• $4,750 – Fiberglas Fabricators Inc, Le Center, for air-quality violations.
• $4,682 – Robert Fischer, Gibbon, for solid-waste violations.
• $4,500 – Poly Foam, Lester Prairie, for air-quality violations.
• $4,000 – Continental Bridge, Alexandria, for air-quality violations.
• $4,000 – Valley Forest Wood Products LLC, Marcell, for air-quality violations.
• $3,325 – James Crowley, Austin, for individual-septic-treatment-system violations.
• $2,310 – Itasca County, Bovey Turnback CSW, Bovey, for stormwater violations.
• $2,225 – Randall and Linda Olson, Gibbon, for solid-waste violations.
• $1,775 – Broadway Body Shop, d.b.a. Mike’s Collision & Tire Center, New Ulm, for hazardous-waste violations.
• $1,750 – Hoss Demolition Landfill, Walker, for hazardous-waste violations.
• $1,625 – Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, New Ulm, for hazardous-waste violations.
• $1,540 – Hammerlund Construction Inc, Bovey Turnback CSW, Bovey, for stormwater violations.
• $1,500 – Jerry’s Auto Body & Glass Inc., Eagle Bend, for hazardous-waste violations.
• $1,500 – Richard Nelson, Eagle Bend, for individual-septic-treatment-system violations.
• $1,000 – B&K Excavating, Frost, for solidwaste violations.
• $1,000 – Cindy Marie Scott, James Crawford, Albert Lea, for individual-septic-treatment-system violations.
• $1,000 – Cytec Engineered Materials Inc., Winona, for air-quality violations.
• $1,000 – WIM LP Inc., B&K Excavating, Walters, for solid-waste violations.
• $500 – Guy Jeremaison Farm-South, Minneota, for feedlot violations.
• $500 – Guy Jeremaison Farm-North, Minneota, for feedlot violations.
The penalties for the following cases are all forgivable:
• $1,687 – Behrens Manufacturing LLC, Winona, for air-quality violations.
• $1,687 – Commercial Millwork Solutions, Rosemount, for air-quality violations.
• $1,687 – Mountain Timber Wood Products LLC, Mountain Iron, for air-quality violations.
• $1,687 – Nygaard Enterprises Inc., Hutchinson, for air-quality violations.
• $1,687 – PEI Nonmetallic, Alexandria, for air-quality violations.
• $1,687 – Preferred Caseworks Inc., Vadnais Heights, for air-quality violations.
• $1,687 – RJS Paving Inc., Rice, for air-quality violations.
• $1,687 – R-Way Trailer Manufacturing LLC, Long Prairie, for air-quality violations.
• $1,687 – S&S Automotive Service Corp., d.b.a. Qual, Inver Grove Heights, for air-quality violations.
• $1,562 – Acme Foundry Co., Minneapolis, for air-quality violations.
• $1,562 – Environ Biocomposites LLC, Mankato, for air-quality violations.
• $1,562 – Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park, for air-quality violations.
• $1,000 – Mike Hanson Construction Co. LLC, North Mankato, for solid-waste violations.
• $1,000 – Randy Dokken, Albert Lea, for individual-septic-treatment-system violations.
• $720 – Jerry Hillmann, Gibbon, for solid-waste violations.
• $500 – Mark Takle Farm, Walnut Grove, for feedlot violations.
• $300 – Jorgenson Backhoe & Construction LLC, Clearbrook, for solid-waste violations.
A complete summary of environmental enforcement actions and news releases can be found on the MPCA’s News Media Center webpage. For questions on specific enforcement cases, call Information Officer Stephen Mikkelson at 218-316-3887 or 1-800-657-3864.
