Rainy Lake Oil, Inc., a truck stop in Koochiching County, paid $25,000 in fines for underground fuel storage violations. A Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) investigation found that Rainy Lake Oil failed to repair a pipe that was leaking diesel fuel underground for more than four months in 2024, from April 22 to Aug. 30, resulting in a release of at least 200 gallons. Diesel fuel released into the ground can be harmful to the environment. An alarm on the fuel monitoring system indicated the ongoing leak but it was not addressed by Rainy Lake Oil, until after a routine MPCA inspection on Aug. 30, 2024. The facility took the following corrective actions to return to compliance:
- repaired or replaced all damaged equipment fuel lines, sump pumps and spill buckets
- removed liquid and debris from spill buckets and sump pumps and disposed of materials properly
- conducted and documented monthly visual inspections and submitted reports to the MPCA
Minnesota law requires immediate notification when more than five gallons of petroleum is released into the environment.
The MPCA remains committed to protecting human health and the environment by enforcing rules and regulations and 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.