The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has reached an agreement with Lee J. Sackett, Inc., a tractor repair and restoration business in Steele and Mower counties, to correct several environmental violations.

The business operates in both Waltham and rural Ellendale in southern Minnesota. According to the agreement, Sackett improperly stored and disposed of solid waste and hazardous waste such as paint thinner; operated without permits and licenses, including operating a paint booth without an air quality permit; and discharged wastewater from the Waltham facility’s floor drain to a county ditch without authorization. Environmental permits set the conditions for managing and disposing of waste and water, as well as pollutant limits for air emissions.

The MPCA has not issued a financial penalty to the business because of inability to pay. Should the business have the means to pay, the financial penalty would be $22,835. Sackett has taken several steps to comply with state rules with more to take, including a plan for appropriate management of industrial wastewater.