Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Nancy Miller, 507-280-3590 Rochester, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will hold a public information meeting on Thursday, Aug. 23, to explain the reissuance and proposed amendment to the air emission permit for the Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) Silver Lake Plant, located on West Silver Lake Drive NE in Rochester. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the RPU Community Room, 4000 East River Road NE, Rochester. The meeting provides an opportunity for the public to ask questions about the draft air permit for the Silver Lake Plant. The public comment period for the draft permit began July 23, and will continue through Aug. 31, 2007. Written comments, submitted by 4:30 p.m. on the final day of the comment period, become part of the public record for this project. The RPU Silver Lake Plant currently has the capacity to generate 100 megawatts of electricity from four boilers. The facility also contains coal handling and storage areas, and areas for ash storage. Proposed amendments to the facility's existing permit would allow RPU to install additional equipment designed to significantly reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. With the additional equipment, the facility's potential to emit sulfur dioxide would decrease by 1,504 tons per year and potential to emit nitrogen oxides would decrease by approximately 309 tons per year. Draft documents for the proposed permit amendments are available online at www.pca.state.mn.us/news/data/index.cfm?PN=1, at the St. Paul MPCA Office at 520 Lafayette Road N, and the Rochester MPCA Office at18 Wood Lake Drive SE. Project documents will also be mailed upon request. Submit comments and questions to Bonnie Nelson, MPCA, 520 Lafayette Road N, St. Paul, MN 55155. Nelson is also available by phone at 651-282-5846 and by e-mail at bonnie.nelson@state.mn.us. Written comments on the draft RPU Silver Lake Plant air emission permit are due by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 31.