Polluters fined, must fix problems

A manure spill and contaminated runoff were found at a feedlot, a road crew failed to control erosion and a St. Paul power plant sent too much carbon monoxide into the air.

These are some of the violations cited in the second quarter of 2011 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

The agency issued 47 orders across 33 counties. Civil penalties totaled $474,720.

Following are the six violators fined more than $10,000. All agreed to remediate past pollution when possible and make operational changes.

1. District Energy St. Paul Inc., St. Paul Cogeneration LLC, Ever-Green Energy LLC, Environment Wood Supply LLC, St. Paul, fined $55,000 for air-quality violations

A wood-fired boiler at a power plant on Shepard Road exceeded limits for carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Emissions were not properly monitored, and equipment was not properly calibrated. A permit hadn't been amended to include the wood-fired boiler.

2. Cass County Highway Department, Tri-City Paving, fined $45,675 for storm-water violations

3. Prinsco Inc., Prinsburg, fined $17,700 for wastewater and storm-water violations

The company was found to be discharging nearly 10,000 gallons of wastewater per day from a cooling system into Chetomba Creek without required state and federal permits. Prinsco also lacked permits needed for managing industrial storm water.

4. Hibbing Taconite Co., Hibbing, fined $15,250 for air-quality violations

A web scrubber exceeded permitted levels for air pollution on many occasions in 2010.

5. Mesabi Nugget Delaware LLC and Steel Dynamics Inc., fined $12,500 for water-quality violations

6. BGR Dairy Inc., Lake Park, fined $12,075 for feedlot violations

An inspection of the facility near Detroit Lakes found a manure spill, manure-contaminated runoff, damage to liquid-manure storage areas, an unauthorized drain and an open lot without runoff controls. The liquid-manure storage areas lacked depth markers. BGR expanded a feed storage area without obtaining a permit.