The Lake Allie wastewater treatment facility will pay more than $13,000 in fines and follow a corrective action plan for violating its wastewater permit in Buffalo Lake, Minn., periodically, from Nov. 9, 2023, to Dec. 22, 2023. The violation occurred while the Lake Allie wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) was upgrading its facility.
The MPCA found that a subcontractor failed to haul wastewater to the Hutchinson WWTF for completion of treatment; instead applied 183,000 gallons of partially treated wastewater to land.
In addition to paying the $13,005 civil penalty, the Lake Allie WWTF has completed a corrective action and submitted a plan to prevent future unauthorized discharges or releases of wastewater to ensure permit requirements are met.
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.
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