Understanding
regulations and navigating the permit process can sometimes be daunting for a
small business. The
MPCA business assistance program
provides the help small businesses need to understand and comply with
environmental rules,
including the process of getting required permits or licenses. We assist
with air quality, industrial stormwater, hazardous waste, recycling/solid waste,
storage tanks, and wastewater. We feature financial and technical tools that
encourage businesses to do more than is required and take voluntary
sustainability actions that benefit their business. We are here to help all
small businesses - but often assist aggregate/sand/gravel operations, asphalt
plants, automotive shops, grain elevators, metal fabricators, painting and
coating, woodworking, or anyone with boilers or emergency generators.
We get it - sometimes it’s easier to connect to a person! New or existing businesses can
get free, confidential help right now by calling 651-282-6143 or emailing us. Read more on
the MPCA small business webpage.
Follow us on Twitter for timely small business regulatory and sustainability
resources!
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Increased
flooding and heavy rains in recent years has impacted many regions across
Minnesota, driving the need to
properly clean up and manage contaminated solid waste, hazardous materials, and
debris. Flood
preparedness at your business now can prevent the need to manage so
much later. It can also minimize health risks, environmental problems,
and ultimately save both time and money in wasted product and effort.
While there are things that any business
can do to prepare themselves for and properly cleanup after a flood, here are a few
tips related to MPCA regulations, along with additional resources to prepare
and protect your business.
For regulated businesses
Underground storage tanks
If flooding appears likely, tanks owners
should make sure their tanks are properly installed and anchored to minimize
the risk of underground tanks "popping" out of the ground. Keeping
tanks full of product adds weight, making it less likely that the tank will
become dislodged and float away.
MPCA officials recommend that tank owners
secure all openings in the tank. Shear valves on underground tanks should be
closed or "tripped" and power should be shut off to the system in the
event of flooding. Shutting off the power prevents product from leaving the
system if floating debris knocks over a dispenser.
Tank owners are reminded to call the
Minnesota Duty Officer at 651-649-5451 or 800-422-0789 if their tanks become
damaged or product is released. Tank owners can also call the tank inspector at
the nearest MPCA regional
office if their tanks become damaged or product is released, or for more on flood
preparedness. Read more on preparing your
underground storage tank for a flood.
Industrial hazardous wastes
If you handle hazardous wastes (HW) at your business,
these tips can help prepare you for potential flooding.
Storage
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Ensure drums and other HW or used oil containers are closed, sturdy, and leakproof.
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Label all HW containers
with "hazardous waste," a description of the container's
contents, and the date when waste first added to container.
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Secure containers to protect from
inadvertent damage.
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Remove containers from lower areas, such as basements, and place in a higher storage areas.
Disposal
-
If possible, contract for the proper
disposal of HW before flooding begins.
-
Ship HW to a permitted HW transporter or facility, a very small quantity generator
collection point, or other recycler as appropriate (e.g., used oil recycler).
-
Keep copies of shipping manifests and
receipts upon disposal of any HW.
To report spills of hazardous materials,
wastes or other potential pollutants, contact the Minnesota State Duty Officer
at 651-649-5451 or toll-free at 800-422-0798. Contact your county environmental office or regional MPCA office for further preparedness and management information.
Wastewater treatment facilities
Flooding can cause serious problems for
municipalities and industries that operate wastewater-treatment facilities
(WWTFs). For businesses operating a WWTF, find guidance on bypassing, power outages, lift pump failures, excess flows, treatment
system problems, fuels in sewers, flooding around ponds and more in the MPCA guidelines for
wastewater-treatment facilities during a flood.
If WWTFs are MnWARN mutual
aid program members, they
can get help finding the personnel, equipment, materials and associated services
they might need to protect the health and welfare of their customers during flooding.
Construction stormwater permit provision during emergency flooding
A provision in the state's construction-stormwater
rules (Minn. R. 7090.2020) allows certain emergency construction activities to
begin before a permit application is submitted, so long as the construction
activity is needed to minimize the impacts of the emergency situation that present
an "imminent threat to human health, public drinking water or the
environment." In such cases, the landowner needs to notify the MPCA when
construction begins.
This rule allows flexibility in meeting
permit application requirements in emergency
situations, and should not be interpreted as an exemption from permit
requirements in the flooded areas. This provision is applicable only in rare
cases where there is an "imminent threat." Read more on preventing
further damage after floods as it relates to construction stormwater permits.
Cleaning up
after a flood
Some businesses are located in buildings
similar to a home environment. Learn more on how to manage your
home/business property once flood waters recede on the MPCA expanded article
Floods:
Minimizing pollution and health risks.
For local assistance
Have further questions on flood preparedness/management or need help with environmental problems caused by
flooding in Minnesota? Call the MPCA regional office
nearest you - Detroit Lakes, Duluth, Brainerd, Mankato, Marshall, Rochester, and St. Paul.
The MN Department of Health provides
health-focused advice on preparing
for floods and protecting yourself during flood clean-up at home and your business.
Minnesota water-level/flood
information
DNR/MPCA Cooperative Stream Gaging
National Weather Service - Minnesota forecasts and flood information
Stream flow conditions (U.S. Geological Survey) - Daily updates on stream and river flooding conditions in Minnesota
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Dangerous Man Brewing, located in Minneapolis, recently replaced their taproom paper
receipt system with a new paperless e-receipt point of sale (POS) system.
By switching, they are preventing patrons and staff
from unnecessary exposure to BPA, which can have negative health effects even
in small amounts. They also are saving money and reducing paper waste.
In the first 6 months, they had 18,776 credit card transactions without
paper receipts, saving over 9,000 feet of paper. In a year, that prevents about
43 pounds of wasted receipts and a 1/3-1/2 pound of BPA chemical.
The new system is saving the brewery $276 in receipt paper purchases per
year. Unexpectedly, the biggest cost savings came from no longer needing to
count and enter nightly tip receipts, saving about 30 minutes every shift. It
now takes 30 seconds for the new POS
system to do it automatically. That is $6,240 in payroll savings per year. They realized further operational
efficiencies from customers, who are more likely to start a tab as they no
longer have to wait for staff that keep customer credit cards; and tabs save
staff time by preventing multiple transactions with the same customer.
After some initial staff training, adjustments, and troubleshooting with
charging and usage, they were in full swing in about a month. They have
eliminated printers entirely. Initially,
a few customers got frustrated
at the lack of paper receipts, but often were satisfied with an option to get
an e-reciept.
The MPCA encourages businesses to switch to paperless systems because receipt papers
typically contain high concentrations of the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA)
or related chemicals. BPA can transfer onto skin and into bodies
when people handle them.
Get inspired by other businesses realizing the benefits of going paperless!
Read more success stories on the MPCA BPA
in Thermal Paper project page.
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Even though its hot outside, we all know winter often gets here before we know it! Time to think now about the products and practices you use to manage your business' sidewalks and parking lots.
When
dealing with ice and snow, everyone has a few tricks up their
sleeve. Here are a few tips that will keep your parking lot and sidewalks clear,
but keep your salt use to a minimum.
Check
your sidewalks and parking lot for undissolved salt crystals on dry pavement.
That means too much salt was used. Sweep it up, reuse it and use less next
time.
What
does the right amount of salt look like? Aim for evenly spread salt crystals
that are about three inches apart. No piles. Handheld salt spreaders work great
to spread salt evenly over large areas, and you’ll use about half as much salt as
you would with a scoop. You can get a handheld salt spreader at the hardware
store for about $15.
Use
less than four pounds of salt per 1,000 square feet of pavement. One pound of
salt is about a heaping 12-ounce coffee mug and an average parking space is
about 150 square feet. That works out to no more than four mugs of salt for
seven parking spaces.
Use
a broom, shovel, snowblower or plow to remove as much snow as possible. There
will be less melted snow to refreeze into ice, and you won’t dilute the salt
you use. Remove snow quickly to prevent compaction. It’s frequently sunny the
day after we get a snowfall. If you’ve removed most of the snow, the sun will
clear the rest, even if it’s very cold.
Don’t
spread salt when it is very cold out. Salt won’t do anything until it dissolves
and forms a brine. And most salt won’t dissolve if the temperature is below 15
degrees F. If it is too cold for salt to melt ice, use grit or sand for
traction.
For
a stubborn icy spot, sprinkle it with just enough salt to perforate the ice.
Give the salt time to do its work, then scrape the ice loose with a shovel. If
there is a leaky downspout or other obvious reason for the icy spot, add it to
the list to fix in the spring.
Why
should you think about how much salt you use? Salt pollutes. When snow and ice
melt the salt goes with it, washing into the nearest lake or river. Even small
amounts of salt can harm fish and plants. High amounts can kill them. It takes
only one teaspoon of salt to permanently pollute five gallons of water.
If
it’s a warm day and the sidewalk is wet, don’t use any salt. The sun is already
doing the job for you, and throwing salt onto the ice isn’t going to hurry the
process. All that salt will immediately wash down the storm drains to your
neighborhood lake or river.
The
MPCA offers Smart Salting training classes for winter maintenance professionals.
If you hire a service for sidewalk and parking lot maintenance in the
winter, consider using one that has taken the class. If you do your own winter
maintenance, consider attending the training yourself. Many companies that have
taken the training have reduced their salt use by 30 to 50 percent. That’s a
substantial amount of cost savings if you have a lot of sidewalk or a large
parking lot!
Make
efforts to reduce the amount of salt you use and use it more effectively. Keep
your sidewalks clear and keep the water clean.
For
more tips, short videos, and training information, visit the MPCA winter
maintenance webpage.
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The MPCA’s DERA
grant program anticipates having about $1
million in grants this fall for off-road diesel equipment, such as
construction equipment, marine towboats, and railroad switcher locomotives only.
Later, about $4 million in grants is expected through
a separate Request for Proposal for heavy duty on-road diesel trucks
using Volkswagen settlement funding. One big advantage of offering separate grant
rounds keeps off-road and on-road projects from competing against each other.
Stay updated!
Sign up for the diesel grant opportunities email. See the MPCA
diesels emissions reduction acts grant
page or contact Mark Sulzbach for recent
project success stories and example grant materials.
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Back by popular demand, the U of MN will host another Industrial
Stormwater Regulations, SWPPPs, Sampling and Monitoring workshop on September
13, 2018 at the MnDOT facility in Shoreview. It's a full-day event that covers
permit basics.
Topics include:
- Industrial
stormwater regulatory history
- Stormwater
pollution prevention plan requirements, implementation
- Stormwater
monitoring, sampling and reporting requirements
- Annual
reporting and fees
- Case
studies/success stories
- Compliance
tips and suggestions
This workshop routinely fills up
quickly, so register today! Visit the U of M Erosion and Stormwater Management Certification
Program’s website for more information or to
register. Register online or view
and fill out the paper registration form.
The U of M's program
can customize training on specific topics and train at your facility. Also,
keep an eye out for the program's new annual training refresher course next
spring, for experienced industrial stormwater professionals who want a
refresher or to meet annual training requirements.
Fourteen MnTAP interns will present the results of their intern
projects at the 2018 Intern Symposium. Learn about the water conservation, pollution prevention and energy
efficiency solutions from this group of highly qualified engineering students
who are spending their summer researching and analyzing options that will
result in cost and environmental savings for their host companies.
The intern symposium will take place at the McNamara Alumni Center on
the University of Minnesota East Bank campus. The event includes a poster
sessions and breaks that will provide opportunities to network and interact
with the interns.
Thursday, August 16, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Register for the symposium right away!
Be inspired by past projects or learn more how your business can take advantage of the intern program. For registration or program questions contact Nathan Landwehr at MnTAP at 612-624-4697
or 800-247-0015.
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