In its ongoing efforts to promote environmental compliance, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency concluded 59 enforcement cases in 40 counties throughout Minnesota during the fourth quarter of 2017. Penalties from all 59 cases totaled just over $450,000. In all of 2017, the MPCA completed 185 cases, totaling $1,523,269.

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 59 recently-completed cases, the MPCA also has 41 ongoing enforcement investigations, 17 of which were opened as new cases during the fourth quarter of 2017. 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 59 cases completed during the fourth quarter of 2017:

American Crystal Sugar Co., East Grand Forks & Crookston, for air quality violations, $135,000

Heron Lake BioEnergy LLC, Heron Lake, for air quality violations, $63,500

Metro Metals Corp., St. Paul, for industrial stormwater violations, $20,000

Pete Meyer, Plainview, for construction stormwater violations, $15,825

Watertown Partners LLC, Watertown, for construction stormwater violations, $14,770

Crown Cork and Seal Co. Inc., Owatonna, for air quality violation, $13,250

City of Shakopee, Shakopee, for municipal stormwater violations, $10,590

Bob’s Septic Service, Robert Rokes, Henning, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $9,900

Duininck Concrete LLC, Prinsburg, for solid waste violations, $8,590

Zebra Ditch Drainage Assoc., Hamburg, for construction stormwater violations, $8,175

Pulte Homes of Minnesota LLC, Chaska, for construction stormwater violations, $7,600

City of Detroit Lakes, Detroit Lakes, for municipal stormwater violations, $7,000

City of Appleton, Appleton, for municipal stormwater violations, $6,775

City of Stewartville, Stewartville, for construction stormwater violations, $6,726

Gerald Stensrud, Madison (MN), for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $6,295

City of Brainerd, Brainerd, for construction stormwater violations, $6,150

Rolfson Farms, Bagley, for feedlot violations, $6,125

Sappi Cloquet LLC, Cloquet, for air quality violations, $5,850

M/I Homes, dba Hans Hagen Homes, Lake Elmo, for construction stormwater violations, $5,800

Tom’s Backhoe Service Inc., Brainerd, for construction stormwater violations, $5,740

Enel Green Power North America Inc., Buffalo, for construction stormwater violations, $5,670

Blattner Energy Inc., Buffalo, for construction stormwater violations, $5,320

Gordon Schmidt, Gaylord, for feedlot violations, $4,500

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., Red Wing, for air quality violations, $4,225

American Septic, Dale Eiffler, Hinckley, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $3,865

City of Barnesville, Barnesville, for municipal stormwater violations, $3,750

City of Clontarf, Clontarf, for municipal stormwater violations, $3,473

City of Danvers, Danvers, for municipal stormwater violations, $3,391

B&L Properties of Itasca County Inc., Grand Rapids, for construction stormwater violations, $3,350

Raymond and Julie Wingert, Plainview, for solid waste violations, $3,340

Larry I. Hansen, dba Country Road Construction, Staples, for air quality violations, $3,105

HealthEast Midway Health Services, St. Paul, for air quality violations, $2,700

Glencoe Regional Health Services, Glencoe, for construction stormwater violations, $2,675

Michael Debeau, Blooming Prairie, for construction stormwater violations, $2,500

Miller Hill Mall, Duluth, for wastewater violations, $2,450

North Fork Boulders and Excavating, Pine River, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $2,310

Wisconsin Coil Spring LLC, North Branch, for hazardous waste violations, $2,200

St. Louis County Board of Commissioners, Duluth, for construction stormwater violations, $2,110

Hasslen Construction, Glencoe, for construction stormwater violations, $2,075

Nendick Heating, Septic and Plumbing, Tony Nendick, Blackduck, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $2,035

Austin Inc., Albany, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $2,000

City of Sartell, Sartell, for wastewater violations, $1,800

Cub Foods, Duluth, for air quality violations, $1,626

Cub Foods, Eagan, for air quality violations, $1,625

Cub Foods, Burnsville, for air quality violations, $1,625

B&B Pumping and Portables Inc., Faribault, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $1,600

Pearson Candy Co., St. Paul, for air quality violations, $1,563

Progressive Truck Body Repair, Rochester, for air quality violations, $1,563

Continental Machines Inc., Savage, for air quality violations, $1,563

Curtis-Wright Surface Technologies, New Brighton, for air quality violations, $1,563

Excel Manufacturing Inc., St. Charles, for air quality violations, $1,563

Haugan Construction, Two Harbors, for subsurface sewage treatment violations, $1,500

Merricks of Minnesota LLC, Albert Lea, for air quality violations, $1,350

ISD 200, Hastings Middle School, Hastings, for air quality violations, $1,250

B&B Excavating Inc., Rob DeGroot, Faribault, for subsurface sewage treatment violations, $1,210

Stack Bros. Mechanical Contractors Inc., Duluth, for construction stormwater violations, $1,140

Maurer Finisher, Mapleton, for feedlot violations, $1,015

Mayonie Schock and James Meyer, Blue Earth, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $1,000

Lawrence Lennard Property, Andover, for subsurface sewage treatment system violations, $1,000

For more information about the MPCA’s enforcement activities, visit the enforcement primer webpage. A complete summary of environmental enforcement actions and news releases appear on the MPCA’s news media center webpage.  For questions on specific enforcement cases, contact Stephen Mikkelson, information officer, at 218-316-3887 or toll free at 800-657-3864.

A complete list of all enforcement actions appear on the agency’s website at www.pca.state.mn.us.

The mission of the MPCA is to protect and improve the environment and enhance human health.