MPCA completes 63 enforcement cases in third quarter of 2013

MPCA completes 63 enforcement cases in third quarter of 2013

St. Paul, Minn. – In its ongoing efforts to promote environmental compliance, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency concluded 63 enforcement cases in 39 counties throughout Minnesota during the third quarter of 2013.

Penalties from all 63 cases totaled just over $577,000.  About 45% of that total will be spent toward the completion of two supplemental environmental projects.  Vonco V of Duluth will spend $240,000 to remove hazardous materials, demolish buildings, dispose of building materials, and conduct site-restoration activities at what could amount to about 20 blighted properties in Duluth.  The Hibbing Public Utilities Commission will spend $17,250 on improvements to its facilities to reduce dust emissions.

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 63 cases completed during the third quarter of 2013:

  • Vonco V LLC/Victory & Vision Properties LLC, Duluth, for air quality and solid waste violations – $300,000 (this includes $240,000 toward a supplemental environmental project)
  • Hibbing Public Utilities Commission, Hibbing, for air quality violations – $34,500 (this includes $17,250 toward a supplemental environmental project)
  • Specialty Minerals, Inc., International Falls, for air quality violations – $24,000
  • Minnesota Department of Transportation, Princeton, for stormwater violations – $13,750
  • Vermillion Fuel, Tower, for above ground storage tank violations – $9,018
  • Hoyt Lakes wastewater treatment plant, Hoyt Lakes, for water quality violations – $8,950
  • St. Cloud Hospital, St. Cloud, for hazardous waste violations – $7,250
  • Ferrell Co., Annandale, for above ground storage tank violations – $7,040
  • Henkemeyer Demolition Landfill, Sauk Rapids, for solid waste violations – $7,000
  • Chet’s Plumbing, Menahga, for individual septic treatment system violations – $6,235
  • Eckert Farm Supply, Gibbon, for solid waste violations – $6,149
  • Roy Winjum, dba RAW Construction Co., Faribault, for individual septic treatment system violations – $5,394
  • Beaver Bay wastewater treatment plant, Beaver Bay, for water quality violations – $5,322
  • Micom Corp., New Brighton, for water quality violations – $5,218
  • Kurt and Beckie Kronebusch, Plainview, for air quality and solid waste violations – $5,000
  • City of Rochester, Rochester, for stormwater violations – $4,800
  • Geislinger and Sons, Inc., Rochester, for stormwater violations – $4,800
  • Clearwater Forest LLC, South Haven, for water quality violations – $4,700
  • Lyle’s Used Trucks & Truck Parts, Bemidji, for stormwater violations – $4,700
  • Manion Lumber & Truss, Inc., Pillager, for water quality violations – $4,700
  • Elgin Milk Service, Inc., Elgin, for hazardous waste violations – $4,300
  • Houston County Airport, Caledonia, for water quality violations – $4,300
  • Kockelman Construction, Canby, for solid waste violations – $4,225
  • X-cel Optical Co., Sauk Rapids, for hazardous waste violations – $4,200
  • Lake County Gravel Pits, Two Harbors, for water quality violations – $4,190
  • ConAgra Flour Mill, Hastings, for air quality violations – $4,150
  • Stier Trucking LLC, Belle Plaine, for solid and hazardous waste violations – $4,100
  • Kimmes Bauer Well Drilling & Irrigation, Blooming Prairie, for water quality violations – $4,000
  • American Artstone Co., New Ulm, for stormwater violations – $3,900
  • Bergh’s Fabricating, Inc., Willmar, for stormwater violations – $3,900
  • Jarraff Industries, St. Peter, for stormwater violations – $3,900
  • Meeker County Transfer Station, Litchfield, for stormwater violations – $3,900
  • Brannt-Valley Excavating, Winona, for water quality violations – $3,900
  • Wausau Paper Mill LLC, Brainerd, for hazardous waste violations – $3,850
  • Scott Verhelst, Canby, for solid waste violations – $3,737
  • Nashwauk wastewater treatment plant, Nashwauk, for water quality violations – $3,691
  • J-n-J’s Recycling, Inc., Mora, for hazardous waste violations – $3,350
  • Michael Gross, dba Lacey Rentals, Inc., Brandon, S.D., for individual septic treatment system violations – $3,325
  • Richard Serocki, dba Serocki Excavating, Inc., Browns Valley, for individual septic treatment system violations – $3,000
  • Great Lakes Aquarium of Lake Superior, Duluth, for water quality violations – $3,000
  • Dean Ristow Property Services LLC, Mora, for hazardous waste violations – $2,750
  • Randy’s Auto Body & Glass, Redwood Falls, for solid and hazardous waste violations – $2,650
  • Rudy Bjerga Construction, Staples, for solid waste violations – $2,640
  • SMI & Hydraulics, Inc., Porter, for hazardous waste violations – $2,600
  • Lee Hanson, dba Serocki Excavating, Inc., Browns Valley, for individual septic treatment system violations – $2,593
  • Cirrus Design Corp., Duluth, for hazardous waste violations – $2,147
  • Red Wing Cabinetry, Red Wing, for air quality violations – $1,725
  • McKay Lincoln Mercury, Inc., Coon Rapids, for air quality violations – $1,687
  • Pauline Brannan, Kasson, for solid waste violations – $1,625
  • Affordable Pumping Service, Inc., Litchfield, for individual septic treatment system violations – $1,618
  • Renetta Swanson, Dunnell, for air quality and solid waste violations – $1,300
  • Kandi-Lake Excavating, Inc., Lake Lillian, for individual septic treatment system violations – $1,100
  • Precision Septic Service, Alden, for asbestos violations – $1,000
  • Carlson Finishers, Trimont, for feedlot violations – $1,000
  • Roger Matejka Farm, Sherburn, for feedlot violations – $1,000
  • Scott & Lavonne Hipp, Henderson, for solid waste violations – $1,000
  • Lowell Heiderscheidt, dba Heiderscheidt Construction, Sleepy Eye, for solid waste violations – $875
  • Anderson Repair, Frost, for solid waste violations – $575
  • AEHC LLC, dba Suite Liv’n, Willmar, for asbestos violations – $500
  • Altmann Family Pork, Inc., New Ulm, for feedlot violations – $500
  • Gerald Hohlen, dba Hohlen Excavating & Sewer, Bock, for individual septic treatment system violations – $500
  • Supreme Pork, Inc., Lake Benton, for feedlot violations – $500
  • Bishop Excavating, Blooming Prairie, for asbestos violations – $350

That comes to a total of $371,323 combined for violations of hazardous waste and solid waste regulations, in Minnesota, in third quarter of 2013 alone.  No matter what state you conduct business, if it has an authorized hazardous waste program (and every state but Iowa, Alaska, and Puerto Rico does), then your state regulatory agency will be looking for violations like these and can issue fines of this amount or even more.  The best way to avoid any violations related to the management of solid waste or hazardous waste is to utilize a training service, like mine, to not only bring you into compliance with the training requirements of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) but to teach you what you need to know about all aspects of compliance with state and Federal hazardous waste regulations.  Contact me to schedule initial and annual training for your Hazardous Waste Personnel.

 

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.