Ardent Mills fined $10,200 for air permit violations

MN MPCA News

Filed March 5th, 2026

Detected March 19th, 2026

Summary

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has fined Ardent Mills LLC $10,200 for violations of its air permit at its Lake City facility. Performance tests revealed emissions of PM 2.5 and PM 10 exceeded permitted limits. The company has since corrected the issue and returned to compliance.

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What changed

Ardent Mills LLC has been fined $10,200 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) for exceeding permitted limits for PM 2.5 and PM 10 emissions from its flour mill in Lake City, Minnesota. The violations were identified through performance tests conducted between June 10-17, 2025, which showed particulate matter levels over the allowed thresholds.

As a corrective measure, Ardent Mills conducted a retest of its filters, confirming that emissions are now within compliance limits. The MPCA emphasizes its commitment to enforcing environmental regulations and notes that penalties consider the severity of environmental impact and potential economic benefits gained by non-compliance. Companies are expected to adhere to regulatory requirements to prevent environmental harm and health issues associated with excessive particulate emissions.

What to do next

Review air permit conditions and emission limits.
Ensure performance testing protocols are robust and accurately reflect compliance status.
Investigate any identified exceedances promptly and implement corrective actions.

Penalties

$10,200 fine

Source document (simplified)

News release

March 5, 2026

Contact

MPCA communications, news.mpca@state.mn.us

Wabasha County plant fined more than $10,000 for air permit violations

Ardent Mills LLC, a flour mill in Lake City, paid $10,200 for air permit violations. Results of performance tests conducted by the company on one of its air purifiers from June 10-17, 2025, showed two types of air particulate emissions — PM 2.5 and PM 10 — over permitted limits.

High levels of particulates are known to cause environmental harm and health problems.

As a corrective action, the company conducted a retest on its filters for both types of air particulates. The retest showed that Ardent Mills LLC PM 2.5 and PM 10 emissions have returned to compliance with their permitted limits.

The MPCA remains committed to protecting human health and the environment by enforcing rules and regulations and limiting pollution emissions and discharges from facilities. When companies do not fully comply with regulatory requirements, the resulting pollution can be harmful to people and the environment.

When calculating penalties, the MPCA considers how seriously the violations affected or could have affected the environment, and whether they were first-time or repeat violations. The agency also attempts to recover the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.