Menards settles with EPA in South Dakota

Construction of a parking lot at a Sioux Falls, S.D., Menards store caused damage to a local river tributary, prompting a settlement from the big-box retailer with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Menards incurred a civil penalty of $68,125 for “destroying a stretch of a tributary ... of the Big Sioux River,” a stretch of approximately 1,390 feet, according to the EPA.

The damage to the tributary occurred during construction of a storm water management system and site grading activities associated with the construction of the store’s parking lot. The store was opened in 2004.

As part of the settlement, Menards also will be required to make restorations to another local tributary, named “Slip Up Creek.” That project, developed by Menards and approved by the EPA, will help restore more than 4,000 feet of the creek, according to the agency.