Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media contact: Mark Sulzbach, (651) 296-7768 Technical contact: Kelly Garvey, (651) 296-7796 ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Flint Hills Resources' Pine Bend Refinery in Rosemount, Minn., is proposing to expand its crude oil processing operation to meet increased market demand. The proposed expansion would raise the current maximum capacity of 100,000 barrels per day to 150,000 barrels per day. Due to construction activities and expansion requirements, the project requires an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The 30-day comment period for the EAW began Mar. 27 and ends Apr. 26, 2006. Comments on the EAW must be submitted to the MPCA during the comment period, which began with notice of the availability of the EAW in the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) Monitor. Comments on the EAW should address the accuracy and completeness of information and impacts that are likely to warrant further investigation, and the need for an Environmental Impact Statement. A copy of the EAW may be obtained from the MPCA by calling Mary Osborn at (651) 297-8510. An electronic version is available from the MPCA Web site at/news/eaw/index.html#open-eaw.