The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) closed 96 enforcement cases for air quality, waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the second half of 2021. Environmental enforcement investigations often take several months, in some cases more than a year, to complete the investigation and issue final enforcement documents to regulated parties. Penalties are calculated using several factors, including harm done to the environment, the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws, or how responsive and cooperative a regulated party was in correcting problems.
Imposing monetary penalties is only part of the MPCA’s enforcement process. Agency staff continue to provide assistance, support, and information on the steps and tools necessary to bring any company, individual, or local government back into compliance.
Enforcement cases with net penalty amounts of $5,000 or more (July - December 2021)
|
Public date |
Company or individual(s) |
Violation location |
Violation(s) |
Net penalty amt. |
|
8/13/2021 |
Al-Corn Clean Fuel |
Claremont |
Air quality — Uncontrolled emissions of volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxide in 2018-19, exceeding permit limits by 35-75%. |
$199,000 |
|
12/7/2021 |
Ardent Mills, LLC |
Hastings |
Air quality — Failed to submit required notifications prior to removing air emissions equipment, and before projects to startup new equipment at flour mill. Failed to conduct required inspections on more than 300 occasions. |
$33,311 |
|
7/14/2021 |
Hawkins, Inc. |
Saint Paul |
Aboveground tanks — Failed to provide adequate containment in material transfer areas to prevent spills to soils and stormwater drains leading to the Mississippi River. Didn’t install overfill prevention alarms or conduct alarm testing on some tanks. Failed to submit required forms when removing and installing tanks and to consistently conduct tank inspections. |
$32,540 |
|
10/14/2021 |
Five Star Dairy LLC |
Arlington |
Feedlots — Failed to follow permit requirements for operating and maintaining liquid manure storage areas and the feedpad. Didn’t repair damaged feed storage area within 60 days. Stored manure on the feedpad without prior approval, and allowed a discharge of processed wastewater into nearby Buffalo Creek. |
$27,700 |
|
8/23/2021 |
Crenlo Cab Products, LLC |
Rochester |
Air quality and hazardous waste — Failed to keep emergency contingency plan, operation and maintenance plan, and list of emissions and emission control equipment updated. Didn’t provide hazardous waste training for staff and missed several reporting deadlines. |
$22,675 |
|
7/8/2021 |
Joe Varner, J&B Feedlots |
Pillager |
Feedlots — Allowed discharges from unpermitted lots, and placed manure and feed stockpiles in the shoreland of nearby 7 Mile Creek. Failed to notify the MPCA of the discharges and allowed them to continue through the spring thaw of 2020. |
$20,197 |
|
9/17/2021 |
DENCO II, LLC |
Morris |
Industrial wastewater — Exceeded permitted limits in industrial wastewater and stormwater discharges. Didn’t prevent corn byproduct and other pollutants from getting into stormwater discharge. Failed to record additives used in its wastewater that must be approved and used only in authorized amounts. |
$18,634 |
|
8/23/2021 |
Boise White Paper, LLC |
International Falls |
Industrial wastewater — Discharged approximately 1.4 million gallons of untreated wastewater to the Rainy River due to power outages in October 2020 and May 2021. Discharged floating solids and visible pink foam to the Rainy River in March 2021. Failed to add sufficient defoaming agent to effluent during production of colored paper. Didn’t immediately report the release and didn’t recover accessible foam. |
$16,965 |
|
10/26/2021 |
Carver County |
Chaska |
Construction stormwater — Didn’t use adequate sediment control measures during a construction project at the Trunk Highway 5 Regional Trail, on the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum property in Chaska. As a result, sediment-laden stormwater flowed into a wetland. |
$16,892 |
|
10/26/2021 |
Veit Companies, LLC |
Chaska |
Construction stormwater — Didn’t use adequate sediment control measures during a construction project at the Trunk Highway 5 Regional Trail, on the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum property in Chaska. As a result, sediment-laden stormwater flowed into a wetland. |
$16,292 |
|
9/14/2021 |
Holst Township, Triple D Construction and Leasing, Inc. |
Clearbrook |
Construction stormwater — Completed a construction project on a 10-block stretch of a Holst Township road in Clearwater County without obtaining required permits that mandate the use of sediment-control measures. |
$15,000 |
|
12/28/2021 |
Arnold Gruenes |
Perham |
Feedlots — Silage leachate flowed from the facility’s feed storage area into an adjacent wetland, creating a risk of surface and groundwater contamination. Failed to build liquid manure storage, feed storage, and sand separation areas to permit specifications. |
$14,700 |
|
9/14/2021 |
City of Hermantown |
Hermantown |
Construction stormwater — Failed to provide appropriate storm drain inlet protection, maintain perimeter sediment controls, and stabilize exposed soils during a construction project near Hermantown. |
$10,530 |
|
9/28/2021 |
Inspectron, Inc. |
Rosemount |
Subsurface sewage treatment systems — Conducted inspections for 6 years without a required license, general liability insurance, and a surety bond. The designated certified employee had a lapsed certification during this period. |
$9,695 |
|
9/14/2021 |
Utility Systems of America, Inc. |
Hermantown |
Construction stormwater — Failed to provide appropriate storm drain inlet protection, maintain perimeter sediment controls, and stabilize exposed soils during a construction project near Hermantown. |
$9,180 |
|
7/8/2021 |
Jason Shea; Tom Shea |
Eyota |
Feedlots — Failed to properly operate and maintain runoff control measures for a silage pad and feed storage area, so process wastewaters flowed into the nearby North Fork Whitewater River. |
$8,675 |
|
9/23/2021 |
Castaway's |
Isle |
Solid waste — Didn’t conduct asbestos surveys before demolishing and burning of four mobile homes and two fish houses. Didn’t have required demolition permits. |
$7,800 |
|
11/1/2021 |
New Look Contracting, Inc. |
Rogers |
Industrial wastewater — Performed dewatering activities without a permit at a sand and gravel mine, causing nuisance conditions in the nearby Grindstone River. |
$7,575 |
|
9/7/2021 |
Petro Pumper, Inc. |
Thief River Falls |
Industrial wastewater — Allowed car wash wastewater to discharge to a ditch that eventually flows to the Red Lake River. |
$7,000 |
|
12/15/2021 |
Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc., dba Cimarron Park WWTF |
Lake Elmo |
Municipal wastewater — Land-applied biosolids from its wastewater treatment facility 92 times on land not approved for such applications. Had an unauthorized release of wastewater in November of 2020. |
$6,860 |
|
8/18/2021 |
Monte Niemi, dba First State Tire Disposal, Inc. |
Isanti |
Solid waste — Stored about 20,000 cubic yards of tire-derived aggregate without a required permit. |
$6,300 |
|
11/10/2021 |
Alan Nelson |
Rice Lake Township |
Construction stormwater — Began a construction project without required construction stormwater permits. Failed to install proper sediment and runoff controls before and during the project. |
$5,775 |
|
12/1/2021 |
Circle E Farms |
Twin Valley |
Solid waste — Demolished, burned, and buried a house without first removing prohibited materials. Failed to transport solid waste material to an authorized facility. |
$5,610 |
|
12/7/2021 |
Alliance Building Corp. |
Isanti |
Construction stormwater — Failed to properly control sediment runoff, install silt fencing, stabilize exposed soils, and conduct required site inspections at a construction site near Gaylord. |
$5,529 |
Enforcement cases with net penalty amounts of less than $5,000 (July - December 2021)
- Brainerd Industrial Center, for industrial stormwater violations in Brainerd.
- City of Wykoff, for municipal wastewater violations.
- Keith Sexter, dba Sexter’s Excavating & Trucking, for solid waste violations in Owatonna.
- Minnesota Parks LLC, for municipal wastewater violations in Salol.
- Donald and Kathryn Kloss, for solid waste violations in Royalton.
- Ryder Truck Rental, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Perham.
- Chart, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in New Prague.
- Darrel Frauendienst, dba Gaylord Sanitation Roll Off, for solid waste violations in Gaylord.
- Michael Clark, dba Clark Farm LLC, for solid waste violations in Floodwood.
- City of Lewiston, for municipal wastewater violations.
- Mayo Clinic, for industrial wastewater violations in Rochester.
- Elk River Machine Company, for hazardous waste violations in Elk River.
- Manthei Complete Septic Service, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Wabasha.
- Side Lake Septic Service, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Side Lake.
- Leff Flinn, Jr., dba Flinn’s Auto Parts, for industrial stormwater violations in Montevideo.
- Loftness Specialized Farm Equipment, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Hector.
- Alliance Building Corp., for construction stormwater violations in Sauk Rapids.
- Premier Real Estate Services LLC, for construction stormwater violations in Sauk Rapids.
- City of Isanti, for construction stormwater violations.
- Cambridge-Isanti Independent School District, for municipal wastewater violations in Cambridge.
- GAF Materials Corporation, for air quality violations in Minneapolis.
- City of Little Falls, for municipal wastewater violations.
- Hohlen Excavating & Sewer, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Bock.
- Stout Hydroseeding & Soil Stabilization LLC, for construction stormwater violations in Nisswa.
- Central Livestock Association, Inc., for feedlot violations in Albany.
- HealthEast St. Joseph’s Hospital, for air quality violations in St. Paul.
- Life Time, Inc., for air quality violations in Lakeville.
- Scott’s Helicopter Services, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Le Sueur.
- City of Goodhue, for municipal wastewater violations.
- City of Brainerd, for municipal wastewater violations.
- Ryan Contracting Company, for construction stormwater violations in Elko New Market.
- M&J Construction of Holt, dba M&J Construction Co., for air quality violations in Newfolden.
- Hawkins, Inc., for hazardous waste violations in Minneapolis.
- Bongards’ Creameries, for industrial wastewater violations in Perham.
- D. Schlomka, Inc., for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Hinkley.
- Diane and Gordon Larson, for solid waste violations in Litchfield.
- City of Elko New Market, for construction stormwater violations.
- Roger Cole, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Waseca.
- Robert Belshan, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Myrtle.
- J&C Swine LLC, for feedlot violations in Renville.
- James Hebrink, for feedlot violations in Danube and Renville.
- Joe Fox, for feedlot violations in Janesville.
- Keith Greier, for feedlot violations in Lewisville.
- Korfe Hog Farm, for feedlot violations in Clarissa.
- Lyle Blom, for feedlot violations in Pipestone.
- Nicholas Hanson, for feedlot violations in Kenyon.
- Gold Star Manufacturing LLC, for hazardous waste violations in Faribault.
- City of Bellingham, for municipal wastewater violations.
- City of Hanska, for municipal wastewater violations.
- Leland Johnson, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations in Blue Earth.
- Jes Equipment, for construction stormwater violations in Hawley.
- Meyer Sewer Service, for municipal wastewater violations in Afton.
More details on all 96 cases completed during the second half of 2021 can be found on the MPCA’s Compliance and Enforcement web page.
Share this
