The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) fined Dimke Excavating of Lino Lakes and the National Sports Center in Blaine $13,312 each for construction stormwater permit violations. An MPCA investigation found that the company and sports center released sediment-laden water into a county ditch, failed to notify the Minnesota Duty Officer of the release, failed to stabilize exposed soil, and improperly pumped water from the construction site. The investigation also found that the company and the sports center failed to repair barriers meant to provide erosion and sediment control, submitted inaccurate reports, and failed to complete site inspection reports.
Following the release of sediment-laden water, Dimke Excavating and the National Sports Center recovered the released water from the county ditch and stabilized the exposed soil. They have since:
- developed written plans for notifying the Minnesota Duty Officer of releases
- developed a plan for proper pumping of water
- repaired barriers meant to provide erosion and sediment control
- started conducting accurate inspections on time
The MPCA remains committed to protecting human health and the environment by enforcing rules and regulations and limiting pollution and releases 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.