Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media contact: Forrest Peterson, (320) 214-3789 Technical contact: Jim Sullivan, (651) 297-1788 Toll-free: (800) 657-3864 Willmar, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has prepared an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for a new swine facility proposed in northeastern Chippewa County. The EAW, which describes potential impacts on land use, water quality, and air quality, is open for public review and comment through Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005. Ken Berg and the Exetare Partnership propose three total confinement barns holding a total of 5,520 sows for gestation and farrowing. The site is located in Section 26, Woods Township, about 1.5 miles south of Highway 40 or about five miles north of Raymond. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2006 and take about six months. Manure will be stored in concrete storage pits beneath the barns. The pits are designed for one year of storage capacity. Manure will be land applied in the fall and injected into the soil. A total of 2,835 tillable acres are available for land application. Results of an air quality modeling study indicate that the proposed facility is not expected to be a significant odor source. Test results indicate that it will comply with applicable standards and will not exceed any Minnesota Department of Health health-risk values. Some odor may be released during land application of liquid manure. The operators will notify all neighbors within a half-mile of the barns and application sites before the manure is agitated and land applied, and will be willing to work around any conflicts with neighboring family or social functions. The EAW provides basic information on how a proposed project could potentially affect the environment. During the 30-day period it is open to public review and comment. Comments on Exetare's EAW should be submitted to the MPCA in writing by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005 to Jim Sullivan, MPCA Regional Division, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN, 55155-4194, or by fax to (651) 297-2343. The MPCA will use these comments to evaluate the potential for significant environmental effects from the project, and to decide if an Environmental Impact Statement (a more comprehensive environmental review) is needed. Copies of the Exetare Partnership EAW are available for review at:
· MPCA St. Paul office, 520 Lafayette Rd. N.
· MPCA Web site at/news/eaw/index.html
· MPCA Willmar office, 201 28th Ave. S.W.
· Montevideo Public Library, 224 1st St. S.
Copies may also be requested directly from the MPCA by calling (320) 214-3786 or (651) 297-8611. Questions about the project should be directed to Jim Sullivan at (651) 297-1788, or (800) 657-3864 (toll free/TTY).