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Legislative Auditor: MN Pollution Control Agency Did Not Inspect Water Gremlin As Often As It Should

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A special review released by the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor has determined that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency lacked oversight of Water Gremlin.

Water Gremlin, located in White Bear Township, was found to have long-standing violations of air quality regulations. That includes more than 15 years of releasing a toxic chemical, TCE, into the air.

The manufacturing plant has since been ordered to stop using TCE and has settled with the state for $7 million in fines and corrective actions. Gov. Tim Walz also signed a law in May banning the TCE chemical in Minnesota. However, questions still remained on oversight of the company.

Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles’ special review determined that the MPCA — which is the regulatory agency overseeing Water Gremlin — did not inspect Water Gremlin’s equipment as often as it should or make full use of the company’s self-reported emissions information. The report also found that, after 2002, the MPCA did not require testing of the company’s air pollution equipment.

Other findings include that the MPCA did not act on the company’s initial permit application in a timely manner, and the MPCA’s 2002 permit amendment “did not effectively limit the company’s use of a hazardous chemical.”

“MPCA cited Water Gremlin in 2019 for longstanding hazardous waste violations, but failure to detect these problems earlier may have reflected ambiguity about agency responsibilities for monitoring and enforcing hazardous waste practices,” the report said.

MORE DETAILS: You can read the entire 64-page special review here.

In October, a homeowner in White Bear Township brought a class action lawsuit against Water Gremlin. It alleges 4,000 homes in the area of concern, outlined by state health and pollution officials, have suffered property damage as a result of the excessive TCE release.

In a statement, the plant told WCCO, “Water Gremlin believes this case is without merit, and we will be presenting a rigorous defense of this matter. Out of respect for the legal process, we will not comment on details of the case at this time. In April 2019, the Minnesota Department of Health reported no evidence of increased illnesses associated with TCE in the area surrounding Water Gremlin.”

The case has been assigned to the same judge currently handling a state case involving lead migration and Water Gremlin.


Source: CBS Minnesota

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