Cold Spring Brewing Company paid $15,939 in fines for stormwater violations at three of their facilities. A Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) investigation in May 2024 found that at their main Cold Spring facility, Cold Spring Brewing failed to reduce or eliminate contaminated stormwater runoff and failed to implement a facility inspection plan. At their other Cold Spring location and in St. Cloud, the brewery failed to apply for an industrial stormwater permit.
Cold Spring Brewing has agreed to the following corrective actions:
- update stormwater pollution prevention plans
- submit a spill response procedure for each site
- evaluate facility operations, maintenance and spill response programs to reduce or eliminate the risk of stormwater mixing with contaminated wastewater
- apply for an industrial stormwater permit
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.