The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has fined the Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) $25,000 for operating its flare more than its permit allows at the company’s facility in Marshall.
Reports that the company submitted to the MPCA revealed that the Marshall facility had operated its flare, which burns off excess biogas that is not used as a fuel source for operations, above the 12-month rolling sum limit of 700 hours multiple times between December of 2023 and June of 2025.
In addition to paying the fine, ADM has submitted plans for complying with operating limits and an analysis plan demonstrating how it will comply with all applicable permit limits. In addition, the company has been required to submit an application for a permit amendment.
The MPCA is 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. Since 2019, the MPCA has issued 8,419 enforcement actions amounting to more than $24 million in penalties. Penalty payments go into the MPCA's general fund, which enables the MPCA to protect communities and the environment from harmful pollution.
When calculating penalties the MPCA considers a number of factors including the seriousness of the violation, the potential for harm to human health or the environment, history of noncompliance, and the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws.