Crow Wing Recycling Inc. doing business as Nordic Metals, a metal recycler in Brainerd, Minnesota, constructed and operated a metal shredder without obtaining an air permit and under-reported the amount of volatile organic compounds they emitted in 2022, according to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) investigation. Nordic metals has been fined $14,775 for these violations.
Corrective actions have been taken, and the company will submit an individual state permit application for the new metal shredder The company will also update their 2022 emissions data with the MPCA.
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 regulated party gained by failing to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.