Home Care In Hastings, MN

The state fire marshal is investigating what sparked a massive fire at the Hastings Creamery overnight.

The century-old dairy processing plant closed just last month following repeated wastewater violations.

According to the Hastings Fire Department, the fire started around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, with ammonia leaking from a vessel on the side of the building prompting shelter-in-place orders for neighbors.

“It seems kind of hard to understand why a fire would start when it’s not operating,” said Theresa Kusske, who lives nearby.

Sources confirmed to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives joined the investigation into the fire Thursday due to the size and scope of the scene.

“Mixed feelings there. I mean, you lose an iconic business, you lose a dairy processor, so it has all these ripple effects in the local economy, said Matt Lowe, who lives one block away from the creamery. “But also, from what I know, they haven’t exactly been the best neighbor.”

The Metropolitan Council shared photos with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS detailing seven violations at the business dating back to December, including a discharge of 10,000 gallons of whole milk and 5,000 gallons of cream into the sewer system this spring.

“As a result, effective June 4, 2023, we suspended the Creamery’s ability to discharge industrial waste for treatment at the Hastings Wastewater Treatment Plant for a minimum of 30 days,” the Met Council said in a statement. “The suspension order was issued because the creamery discharged a slug of concentrated product that caused interference and operational problems at Hastings Wastewater Treatment Plant in mid-May and other times before that… The release of prohibited materials put the wastewater treatment plant in imminent danger and could compromise the health and safety of the Hastings community.”

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked if Hastings Creamery ever had its permit reinstated, to which the Met Council replied:

“The Met Council spent several months partnering with the Creamery, the City of Hastings, the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to find a solution that supports local milk producers while protecting community water supply. Unfortunately, those efforts ended when the company ceased operations several weeks ago.”

Former creamery employees tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS they are puzzled by the turn of events.

“Now this? This just seems really kind of weird,” said Bruce Perry. “I worked there 28 years, and I retired just last year. It’s terrible and sad. A lot of people in this town are very sad.”

Hastings Fire Chief John Townsend told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS they are still investigating what caused the fire and if it may be suspicious.

He noted the roof collapsed as a result of the fire, causing “significant” damage and leading to challenges in fighting the fire.

“It’s a larger commercial building, which makes it a little more complex,” Townsend said. “Just the building construction and number of additions make confined spaces difficult to access and even more difficult to access when we have unsafe conditions, with the building collapsing in the middle.”

He said crews had to tear down parts of the building Thursday afternoon in order to access hotspots and make sure they were put out.

The state fire marshal’s office told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS it provided resources and guidance to the fire department about the demolition so that the integrity of their investigation would not be breached.

A spokesperson also said there is no specific timeframe on when the investigation will be complete or when an update will be available.

State health officials announced on Monday that some people should avoid eating fish caught in the Mississippi River from St. Paul to Hastings and from Lake Rebecca — a popular shore fishing lake near Hastings — after 16 types of toxic man made chemicals were found in fish populations.

But environmental scientists question whether health officials went far enough with their advisory in light of studies showing that even infrequent consumption can increase levels of the chemicals in human blood.

The chemicals, whose staying power in humans and the environment has earned them the nickname “forever chemicals,” are linked to a range of human health problems and were made by corporate giant 3M.

The Minnesota Department of Health said that children under 15; people who are or could become pregnant and people who are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed should avoid eating fish from Lake Rebecca and that stretch of the river.

Dana Vanderbosch, assistant commissioner for water policy and agriculture for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, said the new guidance was prompted by a late June report by 3M that the department is still evaluating as part of a broader investigation.

The report found the fish had 16 types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a family of chemicals that repel water and oil and remain stable under nearly all conditions.

Maplewood-based 3M has made the chemicals in Minnesota since the 1950s, and they’ve since become ubiquitous, used in a broad array of retail, industrial and technology products from microprocessors to non-stick pans. They’ve spread all over the planet, can be found in the blood of nearly all people and have been linked to low fertility, birth defects, suppression of the immune system, thyroid disease and various cancers. 3M has said it will stop making the chemicals and using them in products by the end of 2025.

Among the chemicals found in fish in the Mississippi River and Lake Rebecca was HQ115, a battery electrolyte that 3M produces and says is widely used as an additive to enhance battery performance. It has been detected in surface and waste waters in and around manufacturing facilities. The EPA recently published a toxicity assessment of the chemical, whose carcinogenicity has not been studied.

A standard doesn’t yet exist for most PFAS found in water and fish, but the number and level of chemicals found in Minnesota prompted the state to update its consumption guidance.

Sarah Fossen Johnson, a manager for the health department’s environmental surveillance and assessment section, said the “sheer number” of chemicals — some of which the department has little to no toxicological data on — is concerning.

“We were quite surprised by what we saw in the data so we felt it was more important to help people reduce their exposures now, while we continue to examine the data that we do have,” she said.

Asked why the state waited until now to alert the public if officials have known since June, Fossen Johnson said officials needed time to review the data and consider a variety of factors, including the health benefits of eating fish. She said the type of PFAS seen in fish generally don’t present immediate health threats, so people won’t get sick from eating a few fish over time. But health officials thought it was important to alert people in “sensitive life stages” so they could begin reducing their exposure.

MDH Assistant Commissioner Dan Huff said the advisory only applies to higher-risk people and is based on long-term exposure, “not the kind of short-term exposure you might have from a few meals.”

Huff said fish are a source of low-fat protein, and the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may promote heart and overall health, but there can be risks associated with eating certain amounts of fish from some lakes and waterways.

A study by the Environmental Working Group found consuming just a single serving of freshwater fish per year could be equal to a month of drinking water laced with a forever chemical called PFOS at high levels that may be harmful.

3M recently negotiated a $10.3 billion settlement over contaminated U.S. drinking water systems with chemicals it made.

A scientist with the Green Science Policy Institute, Ariana Spentzos, is not part of any of the high-risk groups, but said, “Personally, I wouldn’t eat those fish.”

“That would definitely give me pause,” she said.

She’s also surprised it took the department so long to warn the public.

“One would hope that it would certainly be a lot faster than that,” Spentzos said.

Tasha Stoiber, senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group, said the level of PFAS in fish are “quite high” in that area of the Mississippi River, according to its map of water pollution in streams and rivers nationwide.

Anyone that consumes freshwater fish — especially those with higher levels of PFAS — can be impacted by just one or two meals, Stoiber said.

“This is quite a concern for everyone,” she said. State health officials previously recommended not eating certain types of fish in the lake and river due to PCBs and mercury, which have been detected in fish in Minnesota for decades.

DNR Regional Fisheries Manager Brian Nerbonne said people can still fish at Lake Rebecca and the river if they catch and release the fish.

This year, the Legislature passed what some have called the nation’s broadest limits on the chemicals, banning them from 13 products beginning in 2025, and all products in 2032. The new law requires manufacturers to disclose if the chemicals are in their products beginning in 2026. The Legislature also approved funding for more toxicologists and monitoring and research of the chemicals.

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In June, The Metropolitan Council temporarily cut the creamery off from the sewer after it said it leaked thousands of gallons of milk and cream into the system.

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HASTINGS, Minn — On a hot day like this, Hastings Dairy Store is busy serving up ice cream and shakes.

But manager Jamie Broskoff says it's more than heat bringing people in -- the 110-year-old Hastings Creamery shut down last week.

"They came to work last week, and were told, 'We're closing tomorrow,'" she said.

In June, The Metropolitan Council temporarily cut the creamery off from the sewer after it said it leaked thousands of gallons of milk and cream into the system.

"We were kind of been working with them for several months to try to find options to keep them going," said Thom Petersen, the commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Petersen thought the creamery was heading in the right direction after passing several inspections.

"The challenges just added up to too much," he said.

Petersen said he is hopeful a buyer would be interested in taking the plant over.

KARE 11 reached out to the owners to see what would happen with their employees and nearly 50 dairy farmers from Minnesota and Wisconsin who sold to them. They did not immediately respond.

"For the dairy farmers in Minnesota that I've been talking to, it's been a really rough three months," said Lucas Sjostrom, the executive director at Minnesota Milk Producers Association.

Sjostrom said it will be hard for farmers to get a buyer for their product.

"That's partially due to low prices, partially due to the processing capacity we've had in the Upper Midwest in recent months," he said.

Broskoff said while the dairy store's future is uncertain, one of the creamery's owners told her they will try to keep the doors of the shop open.

"We have kids to support, paying a mortgage and car payments and stuff," she said.

Stephanie Maus owns Stephy Jo's, a bakery in Prescott. She says she comes to the dairy store on a weekly basis because of the quality and affordability.

"It makes me sad," she said. "A lot of people come here for their milk. This is the only milk they'll drink."

David Roeller lives in Newport. He said he notices the taste in the milk and goes to the store which is out of his way.

"It brings people to the community," he said. "It's nice to know where your milk is coming from."

The Metropolitan Council said in a statement that it spent several months partnering with the creamery and other organizations and it will continue doing so to ensure the safety of the community and to support the business and its workers.

According to Petersen, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is helping workers find similar jobs.

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Updated: 10:25 a.m.

Crews from more than a half-dozen fire departments spent hours battling a large fire that started late Wednesday at the former Hastings Creamery in Hastings, Minn. — just weeks after the century-old business closed its doors.

The fire in the building at 1701 Vermillion St. — U.S. Highway 61 — was reported just after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Hastings first responders found flames and heavy smoke coming from the building when they arrived. Fire departments from nearby communities responded to a request for mutual aid to help battle the flames through the night.

KARE 11 reported that nearby residents had received alerts overnight to stay indoors and close windows amid concerns about ammonia leaking at the fire scene.

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In an update Thursday morning, the city of Hastings said “multiple air samples were taken around the community and were clear of harmful chemicals. … Community members can open their windows and turn on any air exchange systems at this time as there are no threats to the public.”

The Minnesota Department of Transportation said a stretch of Highway 61 through Hastings was back open by 8 a.m. after being closed for hours overnight as firefighters worked at the scene.

There were no reports of injuries. Local officials and the State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating the cause of the fire.

Hastings Creamery was founded in 1913 as a butter manufacturer and began bottling milk in 1920. It was owned by a group of local farmers.

It closed earlier this year, weeks after the Metropolitan Council cut off sewer service to the creamery after it leaked thousands of gallons of milk and cream into the city of Hastings’ sewer system, resulting in several permit violations.

Hastings officials are puzzling over how to fund a $62 million water treatment project to scrub "forever chemicals" from the city's water supply — and they're doing it without the millions of dollars from a 3M Co. settlement that other east metro cities have received.

Three new treatment plants will likely be needed in Hastings when the state and federal government release more stringent drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals in the coming months, city officials said.

Unlike 14 cities and townships in Washington County, Hastings — across the Mississippi River in Dakota County — so far hasn't received any money from an $850 million settlement 3M reached with the state in 2018 for polluting groundwater with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS.

"When the standards get lowered, we expect that we're going to need to have treatment for all six wells," said Hastings City Administrator Dan Wietecha. "We certainly think we're part of [the east metro] and believe we're eligible."

The city also hasn't received any funding from a 2007 consent decree between 3M and the state that has paid for water treatment projects in other cities, like Woodbury.

State officials say that's because they haven't yet been able to show a definitive connection between Hastings' water supply and a 3M disposal site in Oakdale or Woodbury, the company's Cottage Grove manufacturing facility or the Washington County landfill in Lake Elmo.

The newly-painted Hastings water tower, last week.

The site assessment process for Hastings is a "highly technical" one that each city receiving settlement funds has undergone, said Tom Higgins, the MPCA's Superfund section manager.

But Ryan Stempski, Hastings' city engineer and public works director, said city officials are convinced the polluted water reached the city through 3M's disposal sites.

"Where else would it be coming from?" he said.

PFAS — toxic chemicals pioneered by Maplewood-based 3M and used in products ranging from frying pans to firefighting foam — have been linked to liver damage, thyroid disruption and cancer.

Hastings officials said they have known about PFAS in their water for years, but the levels hovered just below the Minnesota Department of Health's drinking water standards.

"We're probably at the worst position you can be in because [our levels] are high enough to be just below their current index," Stempski said.

Hastings officials last month asked the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), co-trustees of the 3M settlement funds, to prioritize the funding of their water treatment project because it met all the necessary criteria.

The project's details are still being finalized, but it's expected to cost around $62 million and involve building three plants that would use granular activated carbon filter systems to remove PFAS, city officials said.

WSB, the Golden Valley-based engineering firm conducting a feasibility study and preliminary plans for the project, will share its recommendations with the city Aug. 7.

In a statement, 3M spokeswoman Carolyn LaViolette noted the company's national settlement last month for $10.5 billion — still awaiting court approval — that would help public water suppliers pay for PFAS treatment without the need for lawsuits or admission of liability. The company also has pledged to stop manufacturing PFAS by 2026.

Taking action

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in March released a "proposed rule" on standards for PFAS in drinking water, the first time it's regulated PFAS, said Todd Johnson, an engineering supervisor in the Health Department's drinking water program. He said the EPA hopes to have the draft document finalized by the end of the year, when the state would begin enforcing the standards.

The state is also re-evaluating its own standards, which are not legally enforceable but have "held a lot of weight" historically, he said. They're likely to be released this fall.

Five of Hastings' six wells exceed the draft EPA standards and will require treatment if the standards become final, he said.

"We have enough data to know it will impact Hastings," Johnson said. "They would need to take some sort of action."

Other options for cities with PFAS include hooking up to a neighboring community's unpolluted water supply or drilling into a deeper aquifer, he said.

Johnson said he believes every other east metro city affected by PFAS pollution has already received settlement money, adding that Hastings "is in a bit of a unique situation."

An MPCA report indicated that $675 million was in the 3M settlement fund at the end of 2022 to ensure clean drinking water for east metro residents.

Higgins said that even if it can't be proven that Hastings' PFAS problem stems from 3M, the MPCA and DNR are committed to helping the city solve its water issues. Several sources might help Hastings pay for its project, he said, including $25 million the Legislature dedicated this year to fixing drinking water systems affected by PFAS. There's also the Health Department's revolving fund, which offers low-interest loans for infrastructure improvements, as well as the possibility of federal money.

Without assistance, the water treatment project's price tag is "a budget buster" for Hastings, Wietecha said. The city would need to more than double its water rates to afford the construction, even with an interest-free 20-year loan. The city has submitted the project for inclusion in the 2024 bonding bill and is looking at other funding options, he said.

City Council Member Tina Folch said it's "really daunting" that the project's cost is millions of dollars higher than the city's annual budget.

"My whole takeaway is that it's really troubling that our local residents, our local taxpayers, are ... at this point looking at having to foot the bill by themselves," she said.

Erin Adler is a suburban reporter covering Dakota and Scott counties for the Star Tribune, working breaking news shifts on Sundays. She previously spent three years covering K-12 education in the south metro and five months covering Carver County.

[email protected] 612-673-1781