According to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) enforcement investigation, Red Wing Shoe Company Inc. violated several air quality permit requirements during 2020 and 2021 at its two footwear production facilities in Red Wing, Minn.
MPCA inspections confirmed that the maintenance, record keeping and reporting violations included failing to:
- properly calculate emissions for hazardous air pollutants (HAPS), small and very small particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- conduct daily, monthly, and quarterly inspections for pollution control equipment.
- conduct annual calibrations, tune-ups, and evaluations of pollution control equipment and boilers.
- Submit federal reporting and fully report all impacted record keeping resulting from a cyber security attack in 2020.
In addition to paying the $30,000 civil penalty, Red Wing Shoe Company was required to complete a series of corrective actions including submitting detailed plans to ensure proper maintenance, record keeping, inspections, and reporting in accordance with its air permits at both facilities.
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 takes into account 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.
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