Big Lake SADO, LLC, which operates a mobile home park at Big Lake Estates in Big Lake, was fined $24,150 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for unauthorized releases of untreated wastewater in October 2024 and January and February 2025. The company was also cited for failure to notify the Minnesota Duty Officer in a timely manner after the unauthorized discharges occurred, which is required by state regulations.
Big Lake SADO agreed to the following corrective actions:
- posted the Minnesota Duty Officer’s contact information in the mobile home park
- submitted a standard operating procedure that provides guidance to those responding to an unauthorized release for review by the MPCA
- will complete a facility evaluation report with recommendations for maintaining, repairing, and improving the mobile home park’s wastewater collection system to prevent future releases
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 regulated party gained by failing to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.