Inadequate stormwater protections at a Saint Paul project have netted fines for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and a metro-based asphalt paving company.
The MPCA has fined MnDOT $18,000, while the agency has levied an $11,000 penalty against Bituminous Roadways for stormwater permit violations that happened in May and June 2025.
MPCA investigators found that Bituminous Roadways and MnDOT failed to install appropriate stormwater protections at storm drains. That failure allowed stormwater to carry a significant amount of sediment into the stormwater sewer system as well as nearby Round Lake.
MnDOT and Bituminous Roadways took the following corrective actions to return to compliance:
- recovered sediment from Round Lake and the stormwater sewer system
- installed stormwater drain protections
- removed soil stockpiles near stormwater drains
The MPCA remains committed to protecting human health and the environment by enforcing rules and regulations and limiting pollution and discharges from facilities. When facilities 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.