Minneapolis MN (10/18/2018) – In its ongoing efforts to promote environmental compliance, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) concluded 39 enforcement cases in 26 counties throughout Minnesota during the third quarter of 2018. Penalties from all 39 cases totaled just over $203,000.
Environmental enforcement investigations often take several months, and in highly complex cases more than a year. Although, in rare instances, they can involve courts, they are most often negotiated settlements where the goal is compliance with environmental rules. Fines issued are targeted to match the environmental harm, economic advantage gained or environmental corrective actions.
In addition to these 39 recently-completed cases, the MPCA also has 37 ongoing enforcement investigations, 17 of which were opened as new cases during the third quarter of 2018. Not all investigations lead to fines or other official action.
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 achieve compliance for any company, individual, or local government that requests it.
The following is a brief summary of all 39 cases completed during the third quarter of 2018:
Ardent Mills LLC, Hastings, for air quality violations, $32,485
Casey’s General Stores Inc., Ellendale, for construction stormwater violations, $20,000
Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE Inc., Boswell and Hibbing, for air quality violations, $15,000 (this includes a $7,500 supplemental environmental project)
American Crystal Sugar Co., Crookston, for air quality violations, $9,950
Mackner Excavating Inc., Detroit Lakes, for solid waste violations, $9,000
Harmony Enterprises Inc., Harmony, for hazardous waste violations, $8,875
Federal-Mogul Powertrain LLC, Lake City, for air quality violations, $8,820
T.A. Lauritsen Septic and Drain Inc., Montevideo, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $8,000
SCS Elevator Products Inc., Red Wing, for hazardous waste violations, $7,683
AAR Aircraft Services Inc., Duluth, for air quality and hazardous waste violations, $7,650
DKMC Development LLP, Rochester, for construction stormwater violations, $7,390
Green Plains Otter Tail LLC, Fergus Falls, for wastewater violations, $6,880
Tri-City Wastewater Treatment Systems Board, Wells, for municipal wastewater violations, $6,854
Hodgman Drainage Company Inc., Dexter, Fairmont and Glennville, for solid waste violations, $6,840
Greg Strobel, Janesville, for construction stormwater and feedlot violations, $4,300
Stack Bros. Mechanical Contractors Inc. and Andrew Hagglund, Duluth Township, for solid waste violations, $3,750
Fitzgerald Excavating and Trucking Inc., Goodhue, for asbestos violations, $3,675
M&M Contractors LLC, Breckenridge, for solid waste violations, $3,500
Lazy U Community LLC, Medford, for municipal wastewater violations, $3,045
Eaton Bros. Properties LLC, Waseca, for solid waste violations, $2,810
Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, for industrial wastewater violations, $2,800
Jonathan Rohloff, Menahga, for solid waste violations, $2,600
Phil Stoll, Dent, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $2,310
Premier Fleet Services, Shakopee, for air quality violations, $2,150
Andrew Stoskopf, Warroad, for solid waste violations, $2,100
Early Iron Restoration LLC, Rochester, for air quality violations, $1,950
John Kamphake, Parkers Prairie, for solid waste violations, $1,875
Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota, Bemidji, for air quality violations, $1,750
Randall Abbott, Erhard, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $1,535
American Crystal Sugar Co., Moorhead, for wastewater violations, $1,350
Credit River Township, Prior Lake, for municipal wastewater violations, $1,100
Jon Mutschler, Bricelyn, for subsurface sewage treatment violations, $1,000
Shawn Ehrich, Elmore, for subsurface sewage treatment violations, $1,000
Rud Construction Inc., Northfield, for construction stormwater violations, $910
City of Mounds View, Mounds View, for municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) violations, $840
LKQ Smart Parts Inc., Northfield, for construction stormwater violations, $700
Hooter’s Lumber True Value, Chokio, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $600
Dahmon Gullard, Fairmont, for solid waste violations, $500
Bruce Nagel, Stewartville, for solid waste violations, $350
A complete summary of environmental enforcement actions and news releases appear on the MPCA’s Enforcement Summary
webpage. For questions on specific enforcement cases, please contact Steve Mikkelson, Information Officer at 218-316-3887, or toll free at 800-657-3864.
A complete list of all enforcement actions is available on the agency’s website at www.pca.state.mn.us.
