In its ongoing efforts to promote environmental compliance, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency concluded 47 enforcement cases in 26 counties throughout Minnesota during the first quarter of this year. Penalties from all 47 cases totaled just over $440,000.

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 47 recently-completed cases, the MPCA also has 49 ongoing enforcement investigations, 19 of which were opened as new cases during the first 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 47 cases completed during the first quarter of this year:

Fitzgerald Excavating & Trucking Inc., Jason Fitzgerald, Goodhue, for solid waste and underground storage tank violations, $80,000

Ever Cat Fuels LLC, Isanti, for above-ground storage tank, emergency management, hazardous waste and industrial stormwater violations, $59,912

Cirrus Design Corp., Duluth, for air quality violations, $50,000

City of Virginia, Virginia, for air quality violations, $27,500

Midwest Aircraft Refinishing, Hibbing, for air quality violations, $25,000

Joe Wagner, Parkers Prairie, for feedlot violations, $20,000

Jordan Sands LLC, Mankato, for air quality violations, $20,000

Essar Steel MN LLC, & Hammerland Construction, Nashwauk, for construction stormwater violations, $11,787

DENCO II LLC, Morris, for air quality violations, $10,500

Carstens Industries Inc., Melrose, for air quality violations, $10,105

Cytec Engineered Materials Inc., Winona, for air quality violations, $9,620

Essar Steel MN LLC, Nashwauk, for construction stormwater violations, $8,687

Alliance Building Corp., St. Cloud, for construction stormwater violations, $7,951

Overland Properties LLC, Hector, for construction stormwater violations, $7,855

DCI Inc., St. Cloud, for hazardous waste violations, $7,475

AGCO Corp Jackson Operations, Jackson, for air quality violations, $6,805

Southern Building Company, Hector, for construction stormwater violations, $6,355

CarMax 6008, Brooklyn Park, for air quality violations, $6,324

Puchalla Properties LLC, St. Cloud, for construction stormwater violations, $5,386

Independent School District 728, Elk River, for construction stormwater violations, $5,025

New Look Contracting, Inc., Elk River, for construction stormwater violations, $4,725

Agra Resources LLC, POET Biorefining, Albert Lea, for air quality violations, $4,410

John Glady Farm, Wykoff, for solid waste violations, $4,158

Joe Otto, Pillager, for hazardous waste violations, $4,075

Douglas Nelson, St. James, for solid waste violations, $3,876

Malteurop North America Inc., Winona, for air quality violations, $3,710

Waltz Septic Cleaning, Canby, for subsurface septic treatment system violations, $3,450

Danckwart Landscaping LLC, Kellogg, for solid waste violations, $3,125

Casey Bates, Wykoff, for solid waste violations, $3,000

Lakeside Auto Body, Lakefield, for air quality and hazardous waste violations, $2,800

Nathan Wiener, Sauk Centre, for solid waste violations, $2,730

Custom Truck Body & Equipment Co. Inc., Rochester, for air quality violations, $1,688

MAACO Collision Repair & Auto Painting, Minneapolis, for air quality violations, $1,688

MC Concrete and Excavation Enterprises Inc., and Michael Badger, Rochester, for subsurface septic treatment system violations, $1,565

NEH Body Shops, Inc., dba Professional Auto Body, St. Paul, for air quality violations, $1,563

SMI & Hydraulics, Inc., Porter, for air quality violations, $1,563

Imperial Plastics, Inc., Mora, for industrial stormwater violations, $1,500

City of Revere, Revere, for wastewater violations, $1,437

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Scenic State Park, Bigfork, for wastewater violations, $1,250

Dream Island Holdings LLC, Detroit Lakes, for construction stormwater violations, $1,100

Amos and Rhoda Miller property, Mabel, for subsurface septic treatment system violations, $1,000

SMI & Hydraulics, Porter, for air quality violations, $625

Voronyak Builders Inc., Perham, for construction stormwater violations, $596

DW Jones Inc., Perham, for construction stormwater violations, $596

Kaba Junk Removal Service LLC, Brooklyn Park, for hazardous waste violations, $500

Hough Inc., Detroit Lakes, for construction stormwater violations, $488

Holiday Companies, Detroit Lakes, for construction stormwater violations, $488

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.