16th Annual DBIA – Upper Midwest Region Design-Build Project Award
The Design-Build Institute of America, Upper Midwest Region, has chosen to recognize their First Place Project of the year, the TH52 Zumbrota to Cannon Falls Design-Build project at its 16th Annual Awards Ceremony. The TH52 Design Build Team includes MnDOT District 6, KLJ Engineering, and the prime contractor Mathiowetz Construction Company of Sleepy Eye.
The MCC team, along with KLJ, utilized their expertise and understanding of the design-build process, embracing the ability to provide innovative solutions through Alternative Technical Concepts (ATCs). The ATCs they provided optimized the preliminary design and created a truly innovative approach to construction which reduced costs to the State, while increasing quality and constructability. Overall, the design and construction were completed on schedule, as well as within budget. The team at Mathiowetz Construction was led by Dave Domm, Randy Shoen and Brian Krzmarzick.
The Upper Midwest Region of the Design-Build Institute of America is proud to sponsor an annual awards program in recognition of regional project teams that exemplify principles of interdisciplinary teamwork, innovation, and problem-solving that characterize design-build delivery. Winning projects are honored for the advanced and innovative application of total integrated project delivery and finding unique solutions for project challenges. DBIA-UMR is the premier source for design-build networking, education and advocacy throughout Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
The Sleepy Eye Food Shelf recently received a donation from Central Region Cooperative. The donation is a matching grant from both the cooperative and Land O’Lakes. Pictured: CRC Board members (far left) Bruce Kuelbs and Ron Wendinger (far right). Food shelf members (center) Ann McCabe & Josie Rose.
Several businesses and a community fire department agreed to pay civil penalties to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for water quality, air quality, waste, stormwater and wastewater violations in the first half of 2024.
More than 100 penalties were handed out.
Penalties are calculated using several factors, including harm done or potential for harm to the environment, the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws, or how responsive and cooperative a regulated party was in correcting problems.
Local penalties were:
• The Henderson Fire Department will pay $10,813 for failing to obtain a burning permit and remove prohibited materials, including asbestos, prior to conducting a training burn project in 2022.
• Heartland Corn Products in Winthrop will pay $11,200 after tests showed the ethanol facility emitted both volatile organic compounds and particulate matter above what is allowed by its permit.
A carbon dioxide scrubber failed an emission stack test for emitting volatile organic compounds at a rate of 37% above the permitted limit. The investigation confirmed that due to a misinterpretation of pretest numbers, operating levels for the scrubber had been set too low. Another stack test on this scrubber, two months later, demonstrated compliance.
A filtering baghouse also failed a stack test for emitting particulate matter or PM, small particulate matter or PM10, and very small particulate matter or PM2.5 at a rate of 120% above permitted limits. Additional investigation showed that one of the bags in the baghouse was not properly installed, leading to a decrease in the control efficiency of the baghouse. The company corrected the problem and a stack test the following month demonstrated compliance.
Heartland Corn Products has completed all required corrective actions.
• Agropur Inc., doing business as Le Sueur Cheese Co., applied too much industrial byproduct to the land, resulting in rates of nitrogen and phosphorus that exceeded the allowed limits by more than 10%. The violations occurred in 2022 near its cheese production facility in Le Sueur.
MPCA staff said the company also filed false or inaccurate information on annual reports, failed to issue reports in a timely manner to the MPCA, failed to keep adequate records and to collect and analyze soil samples every three years.
The company is paying a $11,823 civil penalty and has completed a series of corrective actions.
• Stickney Hill Dairy will pay a nearly $15,000 fine and take corrective steps for improperly discharging industrial waste into a city curb and gutter stormwater system in Nicollet.
An MPCA investigation found that the dairy discharged an undetermined amount of raw goat milk product on April 11, 2023, and May 19, 2023.
• Alliance Building Corp. had construction stormwater violations at Sleepy Eye Apartments after failure to prevent liquid washout of waste and failure to identify corrective actions.
An MPCA staff inspection in summer 2023 confirmed other violations including, failing to document the estimated quantities of soil erosion prevention and sediment control best management practices for the project.
The Sauk Rapids company will pay a $14,475 civil penalty and has completed a series of corrective actions.
Each year at their annual conference, the Minnesota Erosion Control Association (MECA) recognizes outstanding individuals and projects that support the associations vision to protect the quality of Minnesota’s Natural Resources – specifically soil and water. This year, at MECA’s 36th Annual Conference, MECA awarded Two Industry Leadership Awards and Three Environmental Excellence Awards.
The 2024 Industry Leadership Award was presented to:
- Sean Grefe and Dave Neiman at North Star Landscaping and Jared Kadelbach, Andy Huiras, Greg Huiras, and Austin Wagelie with Mathiowetz Construction for their outstanding work on the TH 23 North Gap Project that runs from Paynesville to Richmond, MN.
By sharing educational training, best practices, and success stories, MECA aims to inspire everyone in the erosion control and stormwater management industries to further their knowledge and to continue striving for excellence. Commitment to education, innovation, and environmental stewardship are crucial to safeguarding the quality of Minnesota’s soil and water for future generations.
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