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News release

July 28, 2022

Contact

Stephen Mikkelson, 218-316-3887, stephen.mikkelson@state.mn.us

RJ Zavoral & Sons, Inc., exceeds air emission limits for portable asphalt plant, fails to test equipment during project in Pennington County

According to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) enforcement investigation, RJ Zavoral & Sons, Inc., of East Grand Forks, Minn., exceeded air pollutant emissions, failed to complete equipment performance tests for up to four years, and failed to keep various required equipment inspection records. The violations are associated with two of the company’s portable hot mix asphalt plants and two portable rock crushing plants.

One of the asphalt plants exceeded particulate matter emissions by more than seven times the permitted limit. The inspection records the company was required to keep included:

  • Annual inspection and calibration records for all asphalt plant control equipment.
  • Monthly inspection records of ducts, connections, and housings for leaks, and fabric-filter devices for interior cleaning system equipment.
  • Daily inspections of monitoring pressure and pressure-drop gauges, temperature indicators, flow gauges, recorders, and fabric-filter devices for exterior cleaning system equipment and operation.

In addition to paying a $14,490 civil penalty to the MPCA, RJ Zavoral & Sons, Inc. must:

  • Keep current on all permits, consistent with New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for nonmetallic mineral processing.
  • Develop and implement plans to ensure equipment inspections and performance tests are completed on time and that proper records are kept.

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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