White Bear Lake Firm Fined $7 Million For Pollution Violations

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A Twin Cities manufacturer has agreed to pay $7 million for its releases of an air pollutant linked to birth defects and certain types of cancer.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Commissioner Laura Bishop announced the settlement with Water Gremlin of White Bear Township on Friday, saying it's one of the largest environmental penalties in state history.

The agency says it discovered in January that the company was releasing fumes of the industrial solvent TCE at levels that could pose a risk to human health within a 1.5-mile radius of the facility.

Water Gremlin agreed to pay a civil penalty of $4.5 million, to conduct about $1 million worth of air monitoring for several years, to spend at least $1.5 million on environmental projects, and undertake corrective actions at the site.