Two north metro companies faced more than $40,000 in fines for failures that led to polluted runoff flowing into a nearby wetland and the Crow River. During a residential construction project in Franklin Township in 2024, Capstone Homes and Arnt Construction failed to properly manage construction stormwater activities. The companies failed to submit and implement a complete stormwater pollution prevention plan to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).
Construction stormwater discharges carry soil, nutrients and other pollutants into streets and ditches, where it travels untreated to lakes, rivers, streams or wetlands. Polluted runoff can cause excessive growth of weeds and algae in water bodies and reduce recreational opportunities such as swimming and fishing.
These violations led to Capstone Homes and Arnt Construction paying fines of $18,637 and $22,935 respectively.
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.