Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media contact: Stephen Mikkelson, (218) 855-5001 Technical contact: Debra Moynihan, (651) 296-8420 BRAINERD, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment Worksheet on a proposal to expand the existing wastewater-treatment facility for the city of Big Lake in Sherburne County. The draft EAW will be open for public comment until 4:30 p.m., Apr. 26, 2006. Big Lake's current facility is designed to treat .84 million gallons of wastewater per day. The proposed expansion would increase its capacity to 2.19 million gallons per day. The expanded facility would continue to discharge to the Mississippi River. The proposed expansion will help Big Lake meet its projected growth needs for the next 10 years. The 30-day comment period for the draft EAW began on Mar. 27. Comments on the proposed project should be submitted in writing by 4:30 p.m. on Apr. 26, 2006 to Debra Moynihan, MPCA, Regional Division, Environmental Review and Operations Section, 520 Lafayette Road N., Saint Paul, MN 55155-4194. Or, comments can be e-mailed to debra.moynihan@pca.state.mn.us or faxed to Moynihan at (651) 297-2343. Copies of the EAW will be mailed to interested parties upon request. The document is also available for review at:
· MPCA headquarters, 520 Lafayette Road N., St. Paul;
· MPCA Brainerd Office, 7678 College Road, Suite 105, Baxter;
· Great River Regional Library, 160 Lake St. N., Big Lake; and
· MPCA Web site at http://www.pca.state.mn.us.