American Crystal Sugar: American Crystal Sugar fined $16,000 for fecal sample violations at East Grand Forks and Moorhead locations

Mar. 17-EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. - American Crystal Sugar Company was fined $16,000 for violations at its East Grand Forks and Moorhead locations in 2024, according to a press release from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. An MPCA investigation found that the Moorhead location failed to stop discharging wastewater when fecal samples showed they exceeded their fecal sample limit on five separate days and failed to collect fecal samples on two occasions, the release said. The East Grand Forks location also exceeded its fecal sample limit on two separate days. When calculating penalties, MPCA considers how seriously violations can or do affect the environment as well as whether the violations were first-time or repeated. It also tries to recover the economic benefit gained by the regulated party by failing to comply with the environmental laws in a timely manner, the release said. "MPCA rules and regulations are designed to protect human health and the environment by limiting pollution emissions and discharges from facilities," the release said. "When companies do not fully comply with regulatory requirements, the resulting pollution can be harmful to people and the environment." In a statement, American Crystal Sugar said it has "proactively addressed" the situation at the two factories and "diligently works to treat all water before it's discharged from each factory." "American Crystal prioritizes policy compliance and responsible environmental stewardship and continues to work closely with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)," the statement said. "These water discharges pose no risk to public health, employees, or wildlife. Our processing waters and stormwaters come into contact with sugar beets as well as plants, fowl, or animals, which are natural sources for fecal coliforms that may remain in treated water. American Crystal's factory-discharged water does not come into contact with domestic waste."