"The rush to produce more ethanol and strengthen Minnesota's farm economy has come with an environmental price for communities hosting the huge plants.

Five ethanol facilities have been cited in the past 12 months for widespread air and water quality violations. They have paid more than $2.8 million in penalties and corrective actions. Alarmed state pollution control officials are scrambling to help operators understand and comply with laws.

In the most recent penalty, Buffalo Lake Energy in Fairmont will pay $285,000. It's a new plant that began production in June 2008 with a wastewater treatment system not permitted by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)."

Tom Meersman reports for the Minneapolis Star Tribune October 11, 2010. [2]