The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) closed 118 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the second half of 2023. Environmental enforcement investigations often take several months, in some cases more than a year, to complete the investigation and issue final enforcement documents to regulated parties. Penalties are calculated using several factors, including harm done or potential for harm to the environment, the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws, or how responsive and cooperative a regulated party was in correcting problems.
Imposing monetary penalties is only part of the MPCA’s enforcement process. Agency staff continue to provide assistance, support, and information on the steps and tools necessary to bring any company, individual, or local government back into compliance.
Enforcement cases (July-December 2023)
More details on all 118 cases completed during the second half of 2023 can be found on the MPCA’s Compliance and Enforcement web page.
Enforcement cases with net penalty amounts of $5,000 or more
| Public date | Company or individual(s) | Violation location | Violation(s) | Net penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24/2023 | ConAgra Foods Packaged Foods, LLC (Waseca, MN) | Waseca | Air quality: The company released hydrogen sulfide (H2S) at higher than allowable levels on more than 2,500 occasions between 2020 and 2022 at its fruit and vegetable processing facility in Waseca. | $1,250,000 plus $7,000,000 toward supplemental environmental projects |
| 9/15/2023 | Circle K Stores, Inc, (Raleigh, NC); Holiday Stationstores, LLC (Tempe, AZ) | Pine City, Rochester, Northfield, Owatonna, and Walker | Underground tanks: The companies failed to properly test, report, and fix or replace corrosion protection equipment between 2019 and 2022 at five Minnesota gas station convenience stores. | $200,000 plus $3,250,000 toward supplemental environmental projects |
| 7/14/2023 | Northern Iron, LLC (Saint Paul, MN) | Saint Paul | Air quality: The company removed, modified, or replaced pollution control equipment throughout its iron foundry facility over the past 15 years without seeking required major amendments to its air quality permits before making the changes. | $41,500 |
| 8/23/2023 | The Harbors, LLC (Two Harbors, MN) | Two Harbors | Construction stormwater: The company began constructing a new resort near Two Harbors, in September 2021 before obtaining a required construction stormwater permit and failed to install erosion and sediment controls across more than seven acres of disturbed soils. | $32,500 |
| 11/1/2023 | Plainview Milk Products Cooperative (Plainview, MN) | Plainview | Industrial wastewater: In April 2023, the cooperative allowed about 6,900 gallons of cream that spilled inside its facility to drain through its wastewater and sewer system, which leads to the Plainview-Elgin Sanitary District wastewater treatment plant. | $20,000 |
| 10/30/2023 | LCDJ, LLC d/b/a Nuch's In The Corner (Grand Rapids, MN) | Grand Rapids | Underground storage tanks: The company repeatedly failed to conduct required corrosion protection inspections and maintenance of its three underground petroleum storage tanks. | $19,323 |
| 12/14/2023 | USG Interiors LLC - Cloquet MN (Cloquet, MN) | Cloquet | Air quality & Industrial wastewater: The facility exceeded nitrogen oxide emissions by 10% above permit limits for nearly 50 days during the summer of 2022. | $18,949 |
| 8/8/2023 | Twin City Petroleum and Properties, LLC (Jacksonville, FL) | Aitkin | Underground storage tanks: The company failed to conduct routine facility and equipment inspections, testing, and maintenance required to ensure compliance with their permits. | $18,688 |
| 10/31/2023 | Brian Demos d/b/a Cold Spring Brewing Company (Cold Spring, MN) | Cold Spring | Industrial wastewater: The company allowed an estimated 2,000 gallons of industrial wastewater and stormwater to run into nearby Brewery Creek last winter and failed to notify state officials or recover the release. | $16,721 |
| 10/31/2023 | MTD Acquisition, Inc. (Chisholm, MN) | Chisholm | Hazardous waste & Industrial stormwater: The company violated several of its hazardous waste generator requirements at its machine tool manufacturing facility in Chisholm. | $16,400 |
| 8/8/2023 | Twin City Petroleum and Properties LLC (Jacksonville, FL) | Hibbing | Underground storage tanks: The company failed to conduct routine facility and equipment inspections, testing, and maintenance required to ensure compliance with their permits. | $15,369 |
| 8/8/2023 | Brett Dankers Pumping LLC (Goodhue, MN) | Goodhue | Feedlots: The company improperly applied liquid manure to an agricultural field, which ultimately caused a fish kill in Straight Valley Creek in Winona County in early 2023. | $15,100 |
| 9/6/2023 | Molo - Twin LLC (Jacksonville, FL) | Saint Cloud | Underground storage tanks: The company failed to conduct routine facility and equipment inspections, testing, and maintenance required to ensure compliance with their permits. | $14,142 |
| 9/6/2023 | Molo - Twin LLC (Jacksonville, FL) | Mankato | Underground storage tanks: The company failed to conduct routine facility and equipment inspections, testing, and maintenance required to ensure compliance with their permits. | $14,008 |
| 10/31/2023 | Xcel Energy Inc. (Minneapolis, MN) | Monticello | Aboveground storage tanks: The company began storing groundwater contaminated with tritium in aboveground storage tanks before obtaining a required permit at its Monticello nuclear power plant. | $14,000 |
| 9/6/2023 | Molo - Twin LLC (Jacksonville, FL) | Waite Park | Underground storage tanks: The company failed to conduct routine facility and equipment inspections, testing, and maintenance required to ensure compliance with their permits. | $12,538 |
| 10/18/2023 | Boston Scientific Corp (Marlborough, MA) | Maple Grove | Air quality: The company added production equipment that increased its potential to emit pollutants on two occasions in 2022 without obtaining appropriate air permits prior to installing the equipment. | $11,186 |
| 12/5/2023 | Alliance Building Corporation (Sauk Rapids, MN) | Cold Spring | Construction stormwater: The company failed to properly stabilize soils and control sediment during construction of Birch Spring Apartment Homes in Cold Spring. | $10,318 |
| 8/9/2023 | City of Fergus Falls (Fergus Falls, MN) | Fergus Falls | Municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4): The city failed to incorporate illicit discharge detection into all inspection and maintenance activities. | $9,900 |
| 10/24/2023 | Hibbing Public Utilities (Hibbing, MN) | Hibbing | Air quality: The facility exceeded emissions limits for particulate matter from its coal ash silo, wood-fired boiler, and gas burner in 2022. | $9,715 |
| 9/6/2023 | Molo - Twin LLC (Jacksonville, FL) | Waite Park | Underground storage tanks: The company failed to conduct routine facility and equipment inspections, testing, and maintenance required to ensure compliance with their permits. | $9,266 |
| 7/10/2023 | West Fraser Forest Products, Inc. (Solway, MN) | Solway | Air quality: The facility exceeded emissions limits for nitrogen oxides from its conveyor dryer system in 2022. | $8,850 |
| 12/26/2023 | Sota Arms, Inc. (Cambridge, MN) | Cambridge | Industrial stormwater: The company discharged metalworking fluid and metal shavings mixed with stormwater to a city-owned stormwater pond, and failed to immediately report or recover the spill in April 2023. | $6,900 |
| 12/1/2023 | Blandin Paper Company (Grand Rapids, MN) | Grand Rapids | Industrial stormwater: The company failed to meet effluent limits for its hydrogen (pH) sample collected April 12, 2021. | $6,830 |
| 9/15/2023 | POET Biorefining - Preston (Preston, MN) | Preston | Industrial wastewater: The company had 15 unauthorized releases of wastewater, cooling water, ethanol and corn mash to the environment between 2020 and 2023. | $6,770 |
| 11/1/2023 | Carley Foundry Inc (Blaine, MN) | Blaine | Industrial stormwater: The company allowed spent foundry sand to be exposed to stormwater runoff at multiple locations throughout the site. | $6,300 |
| 9/22/2023 | Duininck Brothers (Prinsburg, MN) | Prinsburg | Air quality: The company's asphalt mix drum baghouse exceeded permitted limits for particulate matter in July 2022. | $5,969 |
| 12/5/2023 | Birch Spring Apartments, LLC (Sauk Rapids, MN) | Cold Spring | Construction stormwater: The company failed to properly stabilize soils and control sediment during construction of Birch Spring Apartment Homes in Cold Spring. | $5,556 |
| 11/8/2023 | Steve's Woodworking, Inc. (Osage Township, MN) | Osage | Solid waste: The company improperly disposed of solid waste, including stained wood, laminated wood, particle board, stained masking paper, and plastic bags by burning on bare ground. | $5,100 |
| 9/18/2023 | Wisconsin Central LTD. (Homewood, IL) | Proctor | Industrial wastewater: The company exceeded effluent limits for total suspended solids at its Proctor facility. | $5,040 |
Enforcement cases with net penalty amounts of less than $5,000
- Guy Rolfson, for feedlot violations in Bagley, $4,803.
- James Hebrink, for feedlot violations in Renville, $4,803.
- Jeremy Hebrink, for feedlot violations in Renville, $4,800.
- Lyle Blom, for feedlot violations in Pipestone, $4,800.
- Molo-Twin LLC, for underground storage tanks violations in St. Cloud, $4,631.
- Molo-Twin LLC, for underground storage tanks violations in St. Cloud, $4,619.
- Cory VanDeWalker, for solid waste violations in Chatfield, $4,460.
- Ichor Systems, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Sauk Rapids, $4,320.
- Ziemba Residential Properties LLC, for solid waste violations in Littlefork, $4,320.
- Vorwerk Custom Pumping VCP LLC, for feedlot violations in Wykoff, $4,000.
- Bemidji Iron & Recycling, for industrial stormwater violations in Bemidji, $3,897.
- Monty Stulc, for solid waste violations in McGrath, $3,600.
- Intex Corporation, for industrial stormwater violations, $2,940.
- Duininck, Inc., for construction stormwater violations in Olivia, $2,837.
- Delano Sportsmen’s Club, for construction stormwater violations in Delano, $2,745.
- Rajala Mill Co., for air quality violations in Bigfork, $2,688.
- Otter Tail Power Company, for construction stormwater violations in Frazee, $2,475.
- Hough Inc. of Detroit Lakes, for construction stormwater violations in Frazee, $2,475.
- City of Lakeville, for construction stormwater violations in Lakeville, $2,453.
- Robert Leverington, for feedlot violations in Austin, $2,402.
- Ryan Donohue, for feedlot violations in Granada, $2,402.
- Alan Miller, for feedlot violations in Wells, $2,400.
- Joshua Raimann, for feedlot violations in Wells, $2,400.
- City of Silver Bay, for municipal wastewater violations, $2,350.
- NMG LLC, for construction stormwater violations in Detroit Lakes, $2,350.
- Gould’s Hearts Desire LLC, for solid waste violations in Park Rapids, $2,350.
- ISD 578, for hazardous waste violations in Pine City, $2,302.
- Founders Fiberglass LLC, for air quality violations in Park Rapids, $2,288.
- Friedges Contracting Co. LLC, for construction stormwater violations in Lakeville, $2,103.
- David A. Emslander, for feedlot violations in Oak Park, $2,100.
- Tuohy Furniture Corporation, for air quality violations in Chatfield, $2,015.
- Minnesota Department of Transportation, for construction stormwater violations in Olivia, $1,897.
- Metropolitan Council Management Services, for municipal wastewater violations in St. Paul, $1,888.
- Ben’s Structural Fabrication, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Waite Park, $1,697.
- C&B Operations LLC, for hazardous waste violations in Pipestone, $1,697.
- Hoglund Transportation, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Monticello, $1,697.
- North Star Aviation, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Mankato, $1,697.
- Northstar Powersports & Marine, for hazardous waste violations in Albert Lea, $1,697.
- City of Chisholm, for solid waste violations in Chisholm, $1,650.
- MacroSource LLC, for industrial stormwater violations in Moorhead, $1,609.
- Hamilton Enterprises, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Duluth, $1,574.
- Fyles Excavating & Honey Wagon, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Monticello, $1,100.
- Troy Phillips, for feedlot violations in Janesville, $1,000.
- Michael P. Mahlstedt and Elizabeth Mahlstedt, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $1,000.
- Genoa Healthcare LLC, for hazardous waste violations in Duluth, $969.
- Modified Enclosures, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Spring Park, $770.
- Goodwill Industries, Inc., dba Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, for hazardous waste violations in Brooklyn Park, $648.
- Electric Motor Supply Company, dba CNJ Surplus, for hazardous waste violations in Fridley, $560.
- Heartland Hutterian Brethren, Inc., for feedlot violations in Lake Benton, $525.
- Scott Jacobsen and Kristi Jacobsen, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Winnebago, $502.
- Daniel Gormley, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Wells, $500.
- Goodwill Industries, Inc., dba Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, for hazardous waste violations in Brooklyn Park, $455.
- City of Big Falls, for solid waste violations in Big Falls, $350.
- Donald Oberfoell, dba Oberfoell Auctioneers, for hazardous waste violations in Buhl, $350.
- Give me a Bidd Auctions LLC, for hazardous waste violations in Nisswa, $350.
- Reba Kessler, for solid waste violations in Big Falls, $350.
- Edward J. Popp, for feedlot violations in Rice, $275.
- MJL Contracting, Inc., for construction stormwater violations in Oxford Township, $225.
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