St. Paul, Minn.– In its ongoing efforts to promote environmental compliance, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency concluded ten enforcement cases in eleven counties throughout Minnesota during the fourth quarter of 2015.  Penalties from all ten cases totaled $225,258. In all of 2015, the MPCA concluded 149 cases, totaling just over $999,000.

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 ten recently completed cases, the MPCA also has 57 ongoing enforcement investigations, nine of which were opened as new cases during the fourth quarter of 2015.  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 or local government that requests it.

The following is a brief summary of all ten cases completed during the fourth quarter of 2015:

Carlson Engineered Composities USA, St. Cloud, for air quality, hazardous waste, and stormwater violations, $135,000

  • ColorWare, Winona, for air quality violations, $70,000
  • Riley Bros. Construction, Inc., Ghent, for stormwater violations, $4,800
  • Lyon County Farm Services, Ghent, for stormwater violations, $4,100
  • Medford Sand and Gravel LLC, Medford, for wastewater violations, $2,860
  • Cambria Co., Le Sueur, for wastewater violations, $2,000
  • Bio Wood Processing LLC, Faribault, for air quality violations, $1,687
  • MacDonald World, Inc., Aitkin, for air quality violations, $1,687
  • Veblene-Protein, Inc., Clarkfield, for air quality violations, $1,562
  • Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina, for air quality violations, $1,562

A complete summary of environmental enforcement actions and news releases can be found on the MPCA’s News Media Center Web page.  For questions on specific enforcement cases, please contact Stephen Mikkelson, Information Officer at (218) 316-3887, or toll free at (800) 657-3864.

Broadcast version

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency completed ten enforcement cases in eleven Minnesota counties during the fourth quarter of 2015.  These penalties totaled just over 116-thousand dollars. In all of 2015, the M-P-C-A completed 149 cases, totaling just over 999-thousand dollars.

The M-P-C-A also has 57 ongoing enforcement investigations that may or may not lead to penalties being issued.

A complete list of all enforcement actions can be found on the agency’s web site at www.pca.state.mn.us.