State Fines Denco II $250K For Environmental Violations At Ethanol Facility In Morris

The Minnesota Environmental Protection Agency fined a local business for numerous violations over a five-year period.

Denco II, a Morris biotech company, was fined $250,000 by the Minnesota Environmental Pollution Control Authority (MPCA), according to an agency news release.

According to the company's Facebook page, Denco II is the site's ethanol plant.

MPCA officials say that between 2017 and 2021, the company "discharges approximately 1.25 million liters of wastewater onto nearby agricultural fields" without permission. The press release states that the Company's permit requires wastewater and soil testing prior to land use and the provision of a certified surveyor. check the process.

The press release states that three separate by-product spills called Biermoor and Nasskuchen occurred in the fall of 2021. The by-product was then drained to the bottom and entered the sewer drainage system.

The MPCA said the company was "reluctant to report the spill to the Minnesota duty officer" and that nearby wetlands were at risk.

In response to the fine, the company issued the following statement.

“Denko II, LLC has reached a voluntary agreement with the MPCA to address alleged environmental permit violations at its Morris, Minnesota facility. While no harm has been done to society or the environment, we recognize that we have had to make some administrative and operational changes to ensure full compliance with Minnesota's environmental laws. We believe that the changes we have made to date and those we plan to make in the future demonstrate our continued commitment to the health and safety of our employees, our communities, and the environment.

The MPCA charges Denco II with other violations, including:

• Exceed standards for industrial stormwater pollutants by more than 30 times in 2021 and 2022. Such emissions can reduce oxygen levels in bodies of water and harm aquatic life.
• Use of ethanol as fuel and industrial residual alcohol with alcohol concentrations in the system higher than those allowed in the air.
• Non-compliance with the control deadlines prescribed for emissions of nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

The MPCA said the company also agreed to the following corrective actions:

• It hired an outside consultant to assess the emissions from the facility and recommend improvements to prevent further excess emissions.
• Install a series of cameras to quickly detect and respond to future leaks.
• Comprehensive employee training on plant environmental requirements was implemented.
• Hire an outside consultant to conduct an annual environmental review of facility operations to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
• Submission of appropriate permit change applications that reflect anticipated changes in the operation of the facility.

In 2021, the company was fined $18,634 for similar violations.

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