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.