Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media Contact: Dan Olson, 218-846-7390 Technical Contact: Debra Moynihan, 651-296-8420 Toll free/TDD: 1-800-657-3864 Fergus Falls, Minn. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has completed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for a proposed new solid waste transfer facility near Fergus Falls. The public may review the EAW and submit written comments to the MPCA during a 30-day comment period that ends Sept. 13, 2006. The MPCA will also host a public informational meeting to discuss the draft EAW on Aug. 24, 2006, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Government Services Center, located at 500 Fir Avenue West in Fergus Falls. During the meeting, the MPCA staff will describe the environmental review process and discuss the EAW that was completed for the proposed facility. A transfer station is designed to accept and prepare waste for transit to a disposal site or recycling processing center. Otter Tail County is proposing to construct the transfer facility on 6.2 acres of county-owned land just south of Highway 210 on the western edge of Fergus Falls. The Fergus site would consist of an 11,200 square foot, fully enclosed transfer building and a station where area residents can drop-off waste. The facility would be designed to process a maximum 50,000 tons a year of mixed municipal solid waste. Its expected that the facility would receive approximately 100 tons a day. The facility would also accept recyclables, including home appliances, tires, electronic waste and scrap metal from residential customers. The EAW is a preliminary environmental review of how a proposed project could potentially affect the environment. The EAW also helps the MPCA determine if an Environmental Impact Statement (a more in-depth environmental review) is needed. The EAW is necessary for the MPCA to issue a permit for the project and changes to the permit may be made based on input received during the public comment period and/or on new information gathered as part of the agencys review of the project. Comments on the transfer facility EAW should be submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 13, 2006, to Debra Moynihan, Environmental Review and Operations Section, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194 or by fax to 651-297-2343. Copies of the EAW are available for review at:
· the MPCA Web site at hhref="/news/eaw/index.html;
· the MPCA Detroit Lakes office, 714 Lake Avenue, Suite 220
· the MPCA St. Paul office, 520 Lafayette Rd. North
· the Fergus Falls Public Library, 205 East Hampden
To request a copy of the EAW from the MPCA, contact Mary Osborn 651-297-8510. Other telephone inquiries related to the EAW should be directed to Debra Moynihan at 651-296-8420, or toll-free at 1-800-657-3864. Additional information on the environmental review process is available at hhref="/programs/envr_p.html.