Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media Contact: Jennifer Groebner, (651) 296-7706 Technical Contact: William Lynott, (651) 296-7794 St. Paul, Minn. - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has prepared environmental review scoping documents for a proposal by Xcel Energy to build and operate a landfill for disposal of coal ash from the A.S. King Electric Generating Plant. The public review period for these documents begins on Aug. 28, 2006, and will end on Oct. 12, 2006. Xcel Energy has volunteered to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed landfill in West Lakeland Township, Washington County. The EIS will provide an in-depth assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed action, as well as reasonable alternatives and ways to mitigate any impacts identified. The purpose of the current documents on public review - the Scoping Environmental Assessment Worksheet and Draft Scoping Decision Document - is to identify the issues to be addressed in the EIS. Public comments on the Scoping EAW and Draft Scoping Decision Document should be focused on whether the issues identified are the appropriate issues to be evaluated in the EIS. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will hold a public information meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21, to discuss the draft Scoping Environmental Assessment Worksheet (SEAW) for the proposed Xcel Energy ash landfill facility. The meeting will be held at Oak-Land Junior High School, 820 Manning Avenue N., Lake Elmo. The purpose of the meeting is to share information with citizens on details of the SEAW, and to answer questions about the proposed project. Comments on the SEAW and Draft Scoping Decision Document should be submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2006, to William Lynott, MPCA, Operations and Environmental Review Section, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194, by e-mail to william.lynott@pca.state.mn.us or by fax to (651) 297-2343. Copies of the Xcel Energy Ash Landfill EAW are available for review at:
· The MPCA's St. Paul office, 520 Lafayette Rd. N.
· MPCA Web site at/news/eaw/index.html
· Valley Branch Library, 380 St. Croix Trail, Lakeland
· Washington County Library, 8595 Central Park Place, Woodbury
Copies may also be requested directly by calling Mary Osborn at (651) 297-8510. Telephone inquiries related to the project should be directed to William Lynott at (651) 296-7794; (800) 657-3864 (toll free/TTY).