According to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) enforcement investigation, Central Specialties Inc., based in Alexandria, Minn., violated several air permit conditions between 2021 and 2023 for its portable hot-mix asphalt facility that travels to construction sites around the state. Violations included failing to properly maintain pollution control equipment and inadequate recordkeeping and reporting.
The violations took place at several sites over the course of two years. The portable plant typically remains in place for days or weeks, depending on the nature and duration of specific construction projects. It is one of three portable facilities that the company uses at job sites in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
An MPCA staff inspection in September 2023 confirmed violations including:
- Failure to calculate and record annual emissions calculations for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and total particulate matter. Similar monthly calculations were also missing for the facility’s hot-mix asphalt throughputs, or amount of material processed.
- Failure to conduct and document annual maintenance of the facility’s dryer burner and fabric filter pressure drop monitor.
- Failure to demonstrate full compliance with its fugitive emissions control plan and submitting various required reports late.
In addition to paying the $19,087 civil penalty, Central Specialties completed a series of corrective actions and submitted plans documenting how the company will ensure scheduled equipment maintenance occurs and that emissions calculations, recordkeeping and reporting are up to date and submitted on time.
MPCA rules and regulations are designed to protect human health and the environment by limiting pollution emissions and discharges from facilities. When companies do not fully comply with regulatory requirements, the resulting pollution can be harmful to people and the environment.
When calculating penalties, the MPCA considers how seriously the violations affected or could have affected the environment, and whether they were first-time or repeat violations. The agency also attempts to recover the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.
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