Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Minco Products will pay a civil penalty of $65,600 for a variety of alleged hazardous waste violations at the company's suburban Twin Cities plant, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) announced today.

Willmar, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and Fibrominn of Benson reached an agreement recently resolving the company's past failure to comply with state air-quality rules and permit conditions. Air emission violations occurring since 2007 resulted in a $65,000 penalty, and corrective actions including the installation of a new sulfur dioxide monitor at a minimum cost of $80,000.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air pollution health advisory for the southern two-thirds of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, Rochester, St. Cloud, Marshall, and Detroit Lakes areas for Thursday, December 17 through Friday, December 18.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking comments on a revised Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) and a draft Above-ground Storage Tank (AST) permit for the proposed Asbury Asphalt Cement Bulk Storage Facility about four miles north of Granite Falls.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking comments on an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) prepared for Manthey Hog Barns' proposed swine-finishing project in Waseca County. Comments must be in writing and accepted by 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 30, 2009.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air pollution health advisory for Rochester and the Twin Cities metropolitan area for Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 23 and 24.

A public comment period on a water-quality report for six lakes in Washington and Chisago counties begins Nov. 23 and continues through Dec. 23, 2009. Known as a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), the report addresses water pollution caused by excessive nutrients, mainly phosphorus that fuels algal blooms.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) concluded 63 enforcement cases totaling $379,122 in penalties during the third quarter of 2009. The cases occurred at facilities in 38 counties throughout Minnesota.

October's cool, wet weather delayed more than the crop harvest. At some livestock farms, full manure basins created anxious moments for farmers awaiting harvested fields so they could land-apply manure. Fortunately, November's warmer, drier weather allowed the harvest and land-application to catch up.

Minnesota Energy Inc. will pay a civil penalty totaling $1,150,000 for a variety of alleged violations at the company's ethanol-production facility in Buffalo Lake. Occurring from 2006 to 2008, the violations were discovered during Minnesota Pollution Control Agency staff inspections of the facility, and through review of operational records the company is required to submit to the MPCA under its environmental permits.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is recommending that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designate an area around Gopher Resources Corp. (GRC), a lead-processing facility in Eagan, as a federal "non-attainment" area for lead in ambient air.

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The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) invites the public to attend an informational meeting and to offer comments on the draft air quality permit amendment for the Mesabi Nugget Delaware LLC facility in Hoyt Lakes.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an updated permit for an expansion of the Clay County Sanitary Landfill near Hawley. The new permit was issued Oct. 19 and is effective for five years.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking comments on an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) and an Air Emissions Permit for a proposed expansion of the Pope/Douglas waste-to-energy facility in Alexandria. The 30-day comment period for the EAW runs Nov. 2 through Dec. 2, 2009. The comment period for the air emissions permit runs Nov. 4 through Dec. 4, 2009.

Bushmills Ethanol Inc. will pay a civil penalty totaling $425,000 for a variety of alleged violations at the company's ethanol production facility in Atwater. A portion of the penalty includes supplementary environmental projects (SEPs), valued at $175,000, which will be completed by the company during the next four years.

Mower County has agreed to donate 33.1 acres of land adjacent to the Cedar River to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in lieu of paying a $31,000 penalty for alleged stormwater violations during a ditch repair project. The agreement is between the county, its contractor, Freeborn Construction Inc. of Albert Lea, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), which issues and oversees stormwater permits for construction projects.

Finding environmental information about Minnesota communities is just a click away with the updated "What's in My Neighborhood" (WIMN) Web application from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

It's 3 a.m. Your two-year-old is crying. Her forehead is hot and you fear she's running a fever. You rush to get a thermometer. You grab one, but in your haste, you drop it. It breaks, and mercury beads shoot across the bathroom floor. Now you've not only got a sick kid, but a potentially health-threatening mercury spill to deal with, too.

The cities of Bloomington, Edina, Falcon Heights, St. Louis Park and Victoria will participate in a project to model best practices in sustainability in buildings, transportation, land use planning and environmental management.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will host a public meeting on a proposed expansion of the Pope/Douglas waste-to-energy facility on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at Alexandria Technical College located at 1601 Jefferson Street, auditorium room 205. The event will begin with informal discussions from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m., followed by a presentation from the project proposer, Pope/Douglas Solid Waste Management. The MPCA will provide information about the permitting and environmental review process for the proposed project. The Environmental Assessment Worksheet and revised permit will go on public notice the first week in November.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) requests input on a draft hazardous waste permit for the city of Sartell's hazardous-waste landfill, Lagoon Number 3, located south of 12th Street North and west of 4th Ave. West in Sartell, Minn. Sartell and SPX Corporation are co-permittees because the city owns the hazardous waste landfill and SPX is the operator for post-closure care of Lagoon Number 3.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is inviting the public to comment on a draft Knife River pollution report from Oct. 12 through Nov. 11, 2009. Those interested in the report can also attend a public meeting that has been scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the South St Louis County Soil and Water District office located at 215 North 1st Avenue East, Room 302.

For the first time in Minnesota history, an Ozark minnow was found during a fish survey in the Turtle Creek watershed east of Austin. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources considers the Ozark minnow a species of special concern because it is extremely uncommon in Minnesota, though it is not endangered or threatened. The fish was found in a small stream, along with 22 other fish species.

The city of Motley and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) have reached an agreement that requires the city to pay $17,500 for alleged water quality violations at its wastewater treatment facility.