On Nov. 20, 2025, MPCA staff conducted an inspection at a Yale Holdings site in Garrison and noted land disturbance despite there being no construction stormwater permit for the site. Further inspection confirmed that Yale Holdings had constructed a building on the site as of July 26, 2023, without a permit. The company failed to obtain a construction stormwater permit until Jan. 12, 2026. The inspection also found that the company did not comply with stormwater discharge design requirements or erosion control procedures.
In addition to paying the fine, Yale Holdings has submitted a complete construction stormwater permit application, hired a qualified person to develop a stormwater pollution prevention plan, installed necessary sediment controls, and agreed to have a certified inspector visit the site at least once every seven days during active construction.
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 fail to 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.