According to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) enforcement investigation, Holst Township and Triple D Construction & Leasing, Inc., completed a road project in July 2020, without obtaining required construction stormwater permits. The project covered about a 10 block stretch of a Holst Township road (418th Street) in Clearwater County. Triple D Construction is headquartered in Plummer.
Other violations included:
- Failing to develop and submit a stormwater pollution protection plan.
- Failing to install sediment controls and soil/slope stabilization prior to, during, and following construction.
- Failing to install redundant sediment controls where the construction site came within 50 feet of area surface waters.
- Failing to conduct required inspections during and after construction.
Construction stormwater controls keep rain and snow melt from carrying sediment and other pollutants off of construction sites and into nearby lakes, streams, and wetlands.
The parties paid a combined $15,000 civil penalty to the MPCA and have completed a series of corrective actions including:
- Installing redundant sediment controls where needed.
- Stabilizing exposed soils and slopes surrounding the project, including ditches.
- Obtaining required permits, and hire and train staff to conduct inspections of the site to make sure sediment controls remain in place.
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.
Share this
