Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media Contact: Barbara Skoglund, (651) 296-5965 Technical Contact: Marshall Cole, (507) 280-2992 Toll-free: (800) 657-3864 St. Paul, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is seeking public comment on the proposed air permit for the Xcel Energy Riverside Generating Plant located in Minneapolis. A public meeting is scheduled for March 9 and comments will be accepted through March 21, 2006. As part of the Metropolitan Emissions Reduction Project, or MERP, the Riverside Plant, located at 3100 Marshall St. N.E., Minneapolis, is converting from coal to natural gas. The shutdown of older boilers and startup of new combustion turbines will result in a large reduction in emissions of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury and lead. The March 9 public information meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Northeast Minneapolis National Guard Armory located at 1025 Broadway St. N.E. in Minneapolis. The draft permit and other technical documents are available for review at the MPCA located at 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Copies can be downloaded from the MPCA Web site under the "February 20, 2006" heading at hhref="/news/data/index.cfm?PN=1. Interested parties may comment in writing or at the public information meeting. Written comments must be received by Marshall Cole, Air Quality Permits Section, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 18 Wood Lake Drive S.E., Rochester, MN 55904, fax: (507) 280-5513 before 4:30 p.m. on March 21, 2006. State and federal air emission permits are required to construct and operate certain facilities. These permits regulate and minimize the impact of air emissions.