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St. Paul, Minn. – The
discovery of contaminated wastewater discharge flowing to City of Minneapolis’
stormwater sewer system has led to the development of a water-saving project.
Cemstone Products
Company operates a concrete ready-mix facility located at 65 25th
Ave N., Minneapolis, Minn. The facility
operates under a permit that includes provisions on stormwater and concrete
operations to prevent contamination of lakes and streams.
In September 2012,
the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) investigated an off-white
discharge from a Minneapolis storm sewer into the Mississippi River. MPCA staff
found that the discharge originated primarily from truck rinse water at Cemstone’s
facility .
Cemstone agreed to
pay a civil penalty of $32,000 and to correct the problems that led to the
discharge.
In addition,
Cemstone will complete a Supplemental Environmental Project, costing at least
$39,000, by October of 2014. Staff will install a weir system at Cemstone’s
Midway location in St. Paul. The Midway location currently uses a series of
ponds for infiltration and evaporation of wastewater. The future weir system
will capture wastewater and stormwater and allow for this water to be reused in a washing process and for
batching new concrete. An estimated 3 million gallons of water per year will be
recycled due to the project.
When calculating
penalties, the MPCA takes into account how seriously the violations affected
the environment, whether they were first-time or repeat violations, and how
promptly the violations were reported to authorities. The agency also attempts
to recover the calculated economic benefit gained by failure to comply with
environmental laws in a timely manner. For a comprehensive list of enforcement
actions, refer to the MPCA’s Quarterly Summary of Enforcement Actions webpage.
Broadcast version
The Minnesota
Pollution Control Agency has penalized Cemstone Products Company for wastewater
discharge violations.
In September 2012,
the MPCA investigated discharge flowing from a Minneapolis storm sewer into the
Mississippi River and determined Cemstone was at fault.
In addition to
correcting the problems that caused the discharge, Cemstone will pay a thirty-two-thousand-dollar
penalty. The company will also be required to install a system that enables up to 3 million gallons of water
from concrete production to be recycled each year.
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The mission of the MPCA is to protect and improve the environment and enhance human health.
St. Paul • Brainerd • Detroit Lakes • Duluth • Mankato • Marshall • Rochester • Willmar
www.pca.state.mn.us • Toll-free and TDD 800-657-3864
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