The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) fined Carmeuse Lime - Superior Minerals Company, a lime production facility based in Savage, $15,755 for air permit violations and for failing to comply with performance testing requirements for conveyor systems that transport crushed limestone.
On Jan. 16, 2025, MPCA determined that the company had failed to perform required visible emissions testing on the conveyor systems. The company had not conducted repeat performance tests every five years as required under federal standards incorporated into the facility’s state permit.
On May 29, 2025, MPCA staff inspected the air compliance section at the facility. During the inspection, the company was unable to provide required daily visible emission check records for its baghouse emissions control equipment. After returning to the facility on July 30, MPCA staff observed visible emissions and learned that the company falsified daily visible emissions records.
In addition to paying the fine, Superior Minerals Company submitted a written plan to the MPCA ensuring that it will complete performance tests on time. The company has also submitted an application to amend its air permit amendment application.
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 do not 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.