The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) completed 78 enforcement cases for water quality, air quality, waste, stormwater, and wastewater violations in the second half of 2025. The MPCA completed 68 enforcement cases in the first half of 2025, bringing the total enforcement cases completed for the year to 146. Environmental enforcement investigations often take several months, in some cases more than a year, before the MPCA issues final enforcement documents and fines to regulated parties.

Penalties are calculated using several factors, including harm done or potential for harm to the environment, the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws, or how responsive and cooperative a regulated party was in correcting problems.

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 bring any company, individual, or local government back into compliance.  

Local fines were levied to:

• Dakota County, air quality violation, $6,034.
• Schlomka Services LLC, Hastings, Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems violation, $1,650.