Heron Lake BioEnergy making progress towards reducing air pollution

In Minnesota, an ethanol production plant in Heron Lake is working to reduce above-limit emissions of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Heron Lake BioEnergy replaced existing equipment to burn off HAPs in its industrial exhaust, and has agreed to ensure future compliance with emission limits.

Numerous above-limit test results for hazardous air pollutants in 2016 brought a $63,500 penalty from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Hazardous air pollutants included particles and organic compounds, some of which can be toxic or cancer-causing at higher levels.

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.