(Photo: Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum)
Moorhead, Minn. — May 13, 2025
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has fined Busch Agricultural Resources $323,850 for a series of air quality and permitting violations at its former barley malting facility in Moorhead, according to an enforcement action announced Tuesday.
The facility, which once processed barley for beer production, ceased operations in late 2024, but regulators determined that multiple violations occurred while the plant was still active.
Details of the Violations
According to the MPCA, a routine, unannounced inspection revealed that Busch Agricultural Resources failed to meet several regulatory requirements under Minnesota air quality rules. The agency cited the company for:
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Failing to conduct required performance tests for air emissions, with 22 tests completed more than 800 days late
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Failing to calculate particulate matter emissions as required
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Exceeding permitted particulate matter limits, including one emission stack measured at 437 percent above allowed levels
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Installing a permanent generator without first obtaining a required air permit
State regulators said the violations spanned multiple years prior to the facility’s closure and represented a significant lapse in compliance.
Regulatory Response
The MPCA stated that the penalty amount reflects both the seriousness of the violations and the economic benefit the company may have gained by delaying required testing and permitting.
“Facilities are required to meet air quality standards regardless of whether they are nearing closure,” the agency noted in its enforcement summary. “Compliance with testing and permitting requirements is essential to protecting public health.”
Facility Background
The Moorhead malting plant had operated for decades as part of Anheuser-Busch’s broader supply chain, converting barley into malt used in beer production. Following the plant’s closure, malting operations were shifted to other facilities in Minnesota.
While the site is no longer active, the MPCA emphasized that environmental enforcement actions can still be pursued after a facility shuts down if violations occurred during operation.
Broader Impact
Environmental advocates say the enforcement underscores the importance of oversight in industrial and agricultural processing sectors, which remain a significant presence in many Great Lakes region communities.
The MPCA continues to monitor former industrial sites across Minnesota to ensure that compliance issues are addressed even after production ends.