According to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) investigation, General Mills has violated state rule at its oat processing facility in Fridley on several occasions from 2019 through 2023. Those violations include:
- Failure to have MPCA review and approve emission levels of a biomass boiler for five years.
- Failure to keep emissions below a permitted level. Readings from a biomass boiler were 262% above permitted levels for particulate matter.
- In 2023, General Mills retested the boiler and found that emissions had come down to 53% above permitted levels.
After the non-compliance test in 2023, General Mills shut down the boiler to perform maintenance to bring the unit into compliance with their permit. General Mills retested the boiler in 2024 and found that it met permit standards.
These violations led to General Mills paying a fine of $18,065.
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.